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THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 


IN  THE  PRESENT  WAR 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 

VIOLATION  OF  THE  NEUTRALITY  OF  BELGIUM 

AND  OF  THE  LAWS  OF  WAR  ON  BELGIAN 

TERRITORY 


PUBLISHED 
FOR  THE  BELGIAN  DELEGATES  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES 

BY 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1914 


^ 


THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 


THE  MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •    BOSTON    •    CHICAGO 
DALLAS   •    ATLANTA    •    SAN  FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON   •    BOMBAY    •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

IN  THE  PRESENT  WAR 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 

VIOLATION  OF  THE  NEUTRALITY  OF  BELGIUM 

AND  OF  THE  LAWS  OF  WAR  ON  BELGIAN 

TERRITORY 


PUBLISHED 
FOR  THE  BELGIAN  DELEGATES  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES 

BY 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1914 


c  ■■■■■? 


Copyright,  igi4 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

Set  up  and  Electrotyped.    Published  September,  1914 


d 


ADDRESS 

His  Majesty,  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  has  appointed 
a  Special  Envoy,  for  the  purpose  of  acquainting  the 
President  of  the  United  States  of  America  with  the  de- 
plorable state  of  affairs  prevailing  in  Belgium,  whose 
neutrality  has  been  unjustly  violated  and  who,  since  the 
beginning  of  hostilities,  has  been  the  theater  of  the  worst 
outrages  on  the  part  of  the  invading  German  army,  in 
defiance  of  rules  solemnized  by  International  Treaties, 
and  customs  consecrated  by  public  right  and  the  Law  of 
Nations.       ' 

Mr.  Henry  Carton  de  Wiart,  Minister  of  Justice,  has 
been  chosen  for  this  mission.  He  is  accompanied  by 
Messrs.  de  Sadeleer,  Hymans,  and  Vandervelde,  Minis- 
ters of  State.  Count  Louis  de  Lichtervelde  is  attached 
to  the  Mission  as  secretary. 

The  Mission  was  received  by  the  President  of  the 
United  States  in  Washington,  on  September  i6th,  1914. 

Mr.  Henry  Carton  de  Wiart,  in  the  name  of  the  Mis- 
sion, made  the  following  address: 

''Excellency: 

''His  Majesty,  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  has  charged 
us  with  a  special  mission  to  the  President  of  the  United 
Elates. 

"Let  me  say  to  you  how  much  we  feel  ourselves  hon- 
ored to  have  been  called  upon  to  express  the  sentiments 
of  our  King  and  of  our  whole  nation  to  the  illustrious 

V 


vi  ADDRESS 

statesman  whom  the  American  people  have  called  to  the 
highest  dignity  of  the  commonwealth. 

''As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  have  already  been  able, 
during  a  previous  trip,  to  fully  appreciate  the  noble  vir- 
tues of  the  American  Nation,  and  I  am  happy  to  take  this 
opportunity  to  express  all  the  admiration  with  which  they 
inspire  me. 

''Ever  since  her  independence  was  first  established, 
Belgium  has  been  declared  neutral  in  perpetuity.  This 
neutrality,  guaranteed  by  the  Powers,  has  recently  been 
violated  by  one  of  them.  Had  we  consented  to  abandon 
our  neutrality  for  the  benefit  of  one  of  the  belligerents,  we 
would  have  betrayed  our  obligations  toward  the  others. 
And  it  was  the  sense  of  our  international  obligations  as 
well  as  that  of  our  dignity  and  honor  that  has  driven  us 
to  resistance.  " 

"The  consequences  suffered  by  the  Belgian  Nation  were 
not  confined  purely  to  the  harm  occasioned  by  the  forced 
march  of  an  invading  army.  This  army  not  only  seized  a 
great  portion  of  our  territory,  but  it  committed  incredible 
acts  of  violence,  the  nature  of  which  is  contrary  to  the 
law  of  Nations. 

"Peaceful  inhabitants  were  massacred,  defenseless 
women  and  children  were  outraged,  open  and  undefended 
towns  were  destroyed;  historical  and  religious  monuments 
were  reduced  to  dust,  and  the  famous  library  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Louvain  was  given  to  the  flames. 

"Our  Government  has  appointed  a  judicial  Commis- 
sion to  make  an  official  investigation,  so  as  to  thoroughly 
and  impartially  examine  the  facts  and  to  determine  the 
responsibility  thereof,  and  I  will  have  the  honor.  Excel- 
lency, to  hand  over  to  you  the  Proceedings  of  the  in- 
quiry. 


■  ADDRESS  vii 

"1/2  this  frightful  holocaust  which  is  sweeping  all  over 
Europe,  the  United  States  has  adopted  a  neutral  atti- 
tude. 

"'And  it  is  for  this  reason  that  your  country,  standing 
apart  from  either  one  of  the  belligerents,  is  in  the  best 
position  to  judge,  without  bias  or  partiality,  the  condi- 
tions under  which  the  war  is  being  waged. 

"It  is  at  the  request,  even  at  the  initiative  of  the  United 
States,  that  all  civilized  nations  have  formulated  and 
adopted  at  The  Hague  a  law  regulating  the  laws  and 
usage  of  war. 

"We  refuse  to  believe  that  war  has  abolished  the  fam- 
ily of  Civilized  lowers,  or  the  regulations  to  which  they 
have  freely  consented. 

"The  American  people  has  always  displayed  its  respect 
for  Justice,  its  search  for  progress  and  an  instinctive  at- 
tachment for  the  laws  of  humanity.  Therefore,  it  has 
won  a  moral  influence  which  is  recognized  by  the  entire 
world.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  Belgium,  bound  as  she 
is  to  you  by  ties  of  commerce  and  increasing  friendships 
turns  to  the  American  people  at  this  time  to  let  it  know 
the  real  truth  of  the  present  situation.  Resolved  to  con- 
tinue unflinching  defence  of  its  sovereignty  and  indepen- 
dence, it  deems  it  a  duty  to  bring  to  the  attention  of  the 
civilized  world  the  innumerable  grave  breaches  of  rights 
of  mankind,  of  which  she  has  been  a  victim, 

"At  the  very  moment  we  were  leaving  Belgium,  the 
King  recalled  to  us  his  trip  to  the  United  States  and  the 
vivid  and  strong  impression  your  powerful  and  virile 
civilization  left  upon  his  mind. 

"Our  faith  in  your  fairness,  our  confidence  in  your  jus- 
tice, in  your  spirit  of  generosity  and  sympathy,  all  these 
have  dictated  our  present  mission'' 

# 


PREFACE 

Belgium  has  seen  her  territory  invaded  by  one  of  the 
Powers  guaranteeing  her  independence  and  neutrality. 
Those  who  have  thus  violated  the  law  of  nations  did  not 
content  \hemselves  with  opening  a  passage  by  force  of 
arms:  they  have  committed,  have  had  others  commit,  or 
allowed  to  be  committed,  a  series  of  the  most  flagrant  in- 
fractions of  the  rules  of  warfare  as  set  down  by  The 
Hague  Convention  of  1907. 

Deeds  of  this  nature  occurred  from  the  very  beginning 
of  hostilities. 

Immediately,  the  Belgian  Minister  of  Justice,  Mr. 
Carton  de  Wiart,  appointed  a  Commission  of  Inquiry,  in 
order  to  look  into  the  violations  of  the  rules  of  the  law 
of  nations  committed  by  the  invaders. 

The  members  of  this  Commission  were  chosen  from 
the  flower  of  magistracy,  as  well  as  from  the  world  of 
scholars.  Their  independence,  their  impartiality,  their 
high  standing  and  the  reputation  they  enjoy,  in  Bel- 
gium as  well  as  abroad,  allow  no  shadow  of  doubt  to 
fall  upon  the  conclusions  reached  by  the  Commission. 

A  Notice  published  in  the  "Moniteur"  (the  official 
Belgian  newspaper)  under  date  of  August  8th,  sets  forth 
the  object  of  the  Commission  as  follows: 

'The  invaders  are  committing  numerous  violations 
against  the  law  of  nations  and  in  defiance  of  elementary 
humanitarian  rules. 

ix 


X  PREFACE 

"They  cannot  remain  without  protest;  they  must  be 
submitted  to  the  reprobation  of  the  civilized  world.  A 
committee  is  being  formed  to  investigate.  Its  object  is 
to  gather  and  to  examine  with  the  utmost  care  and  im- 
partiality all  the  facts  brought  to  its  notice. 

"The  committee  is  composed  of  Messrs.  Cattier,  Pro- 
fessor at  the  Brussels  University;  Nys,  Counselor  at  the 
Brussels  Court  of  Appeal;  Verhaegen,  Counselor  at  the 
Brussels  Court  of  Appeal ;  Wodon,  Professor  at  the  Brus- 
sels University.  Secretary:  Mr.  Gillard,  Director  of  the 
Department  of  Justice. 

"Civil  and  military  authorities,  and  civilians  are 
requested  to  call  to  the  committee's  attention  any  viola- 
tion against  the  law  of  nations,  and  to  supply  it  with  full 
information  in  order  to  enable  it  to  ascertain  the  facts. 

"The  committee  will  meet  at  61,  rue  Ducale,  Brus- 
sels." 

From  the  very  day  of  its  appointment,  the  committee 
was  apprised  of  numerous  facts.  It  began  immediately 
its  investigation  and  received,  under  oath,  endless  testi- 
mony ;  its  first  conclusions  are  recorded  in  the  pages  here- 
after appended. 

After  August  18th,  when  the  seat  of  Government  was 
transferred  to  Antwerp,  and  communication  with  Brus- 
sels became  impossible,  the  Government  received  no  fur- 
ther reports  from  its  commission.  However,  a  number 
of  new  facts  were  brought  to  its  attention,  and  the  Min- 
ister of  Justice  decided  to  appoint  a  sub-committee  of 
the  Commission  of  Inquiry,  which  will  maintain  its  head- 
quarters at  Antwerp,  until  communication  with  Brussels 
is  resumed. 

The  Antwerp  sub-committee  is  composed  of  the  fol- 
lowing : 


PREFACE  xi 

Chairman,  Mr.  Cooreman,  Minister  of  State;  Mem- 
bers, Count  Goblet  d'Alviella,  Minister  of  State,  Vice- 
President  of  the  Senate;  Messrs.  Ryckmans,  Senator; 
Strauss,  Alderman  of  the  City  of  Antwerp;  Van  Cutsem^ 
Honorary  President  of  the  Law  Court  of  Antwerp. 

Secretaries:  Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck,  Chief  Sec- 
retary of  the  Belgian  Minister  of  Justice;  Mr.  Orts, 
Counselor  of  Legation. 

We  shall  find  further  on,  page  35,  the  first  reports  of 
the  Antwerp  section  of  the  Commission.  We  have 
printed  in  the  following  pages:  (1)  a  note  concerning 
Belgium's  neutrality;  (2)  a  note  concerning  the  confisca- 
tion of  bank  funds  and  other  property  belonging  to 
private  individuals;  (3)  a  note  regarding  the  aerial  bom- 
bardment of  Antwerp,  and  the  bombardment  of  Malines 
and  of  Heyst-op-den  Berg;  (4)  a  note  on  the  use  of  ex- 
plosive bullets.  Further  on  we  publish  the  minutes  of 
the  findings  of  the  Commission  of  Inquiry. 

These  documents  prove  that  the  Germans,  in  a  war 
against  a  nation  against  which  they  have  no  grievance  of 
any  kind,  have  resorted  to  proceedings  which  are  not  alone 
inadmissible  from  the  humanitarian  standpoint,  but  are 
directly  prohibited  by  The  Hague  Rules  regarding  the 
laws  of  warfare. 

In  order  to  be  convinced,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  com- 
pare the  findings  of  the  Commission  of  Inquiry  with  the 
principal  articles  of  these  rules,  and  particularly  with 
articles  22,  23,  25,  26,  27  and  46. 

''ArL  22  and  23:  Belligerents  have  no  unlimited  right 
as  to  the  choice  of  means  to  injure  the  enemy. 

"Aside  from  prohibitions  set  down  by  special  conven- 
tions, the  following  is  particularly  forbidden: 

"(a)      ....    


xii  PREFACE 

"(b)  To  fire  upon  or  to  wound  by  treachery  individ- 
uals belonging  to  the  nation,  or  to  the  army,  of  the 
enemy. 

"(c)  To  fire  upon,  or  wound  an  enemy  who,  having 
put  down  his  arms  or  being  without  means  to  defend  him- 
self, has  surrendered  at  discretion. 

"(d)  To  use  arms,  projectiles  or  other  material  liable 
to  cause  useless  suffering. 

"(e) 

"(f)  To  make  use  unduly  of  the  flag  of  truce,  of  the 
national  flag  and  military  insignia  and  uniform  of  the 
enemy.  .  .  . 

"(g)  To  destroy  or  to  seize  the  enemy's  property  ex- 
cept in  case  where  the  destruction  or  seizure  are  an  im- 
perative necessity  of  war. 

"(h) 

"A  belligerent  is  not  permitted  to  force  countrymen  of 
the  enemy's  land  to  participate  in  war-like  operations 
directed  against  their  country.  .   .   ." 

Among  the  numerous  accusations  which  were  brought 
to  the  attention  of  the  Commission  by  the  public,  only 
those  facts  have  been  retained  which  have  been  verified 
beyond  doubt  by  testimony  worthy  of  credence.  These 
facts  represent  only  a  very  small  part  of  those  which 
seem  to  have  been  really  committed.  Nevertheless,  they 
remain  so  numerous  as  to  prove  that  the  above  mentioned 
prescriptions  were  subjected  to  the  most  flagrant  infrac- 
tions. As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  will  be  seen  further  on  that, 
in  a  number  of  cases,  detachments  of  German  troops  flew 
the  white  flag,  or  the  flag  of  the  Red  Cross,  in  order  to  ap- 
proach the  unsuspecting  troops;  they  have  killed  the 
wounded,  and  at  times  have  tortured  them.  They  have 
used  explosive  bullets;  they  have  destroyed  and  set  fire 


PREFACE  xiii 

to  numerous  villages.  Frequently,  they  forced  the  in- 
habitants to  serve  as  guides,  or  to  make  trenches  for  the 
enemy's  army.  Others  were  carried  off  toward  Germany, 
and  it  is  said  that  they  were  made  to  harvest  the  crops, 
just  as  in  the  old  times  of  slavery. 

"ArL  2^:  It  is  prohibited  to  attack  or  bombard,  by 
any  means  whatsoever,  cities,  villages,  habitations  or 
buildings  which  are  undefended. 

''Art.  26:  The  commander  of  the  attacking  troops, 
before  undertaking  to  bombard,  except  in  cases  of  sudden 
attack,  must  do  all  in  his  power  to  advise  the  authorities 
of  the  intended  bombardment. 

''Art.  2y:  During  the  siege,  and  in  bombardment, 
every  possible  measure  must  be  taken  to  spare,  wherever 
possible,  buildings  consecrated  to  worship,  to  art,  to  sci- 
ence, and  to  charity,  historical  monuments,  hospitals  and 
places  of  retreat  for  the  sick  and  wounded,  provided  that 
these  buildings  be  not  at  the  same  time  used  for  military 
purposes." 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  Germans,  from  the  very  be- 
ginning, in  order  to  terrorize  the  civil  population,  have 
in  no  wise  observed  these  prohibitions.  They  have  bom- 
barded Malines  and  Heyst-op-den-Berg,  which  were  un- 
defended. Without  any  previous  intimation,  their  dirig- 
ibles have  thrown  bombs  upon  Louvain,  an  open  town, 
upon  Namur,  and  Antwerp,  which  places,  at  that  time, 
were  neither  invested  nor  besieged.  They  have  fired  upon 
ambulances,  and  (without  any  military  necessity)  have 
directed  their  fire  (at  Malines,  for  instance)  against 
houses  of  worship  and  historical  monuments. 

"Art.  46:  The  honor  and  the  rights  of  the  family, 
the  life  of  individuals  and  private  property,  as  well  as  re- 


xiv  PREFACE 

ligious  convictions  and  the  exercise  of  worship,  must  be 
respected.    Private  property  cannot  be  confiscated." 

We  can  only  refer  here  to  the  conclusions  reached  by 
the  Commission  of  Inquiry.  The  list  would  be  too  long 
should  we  try  to  enumerate  the  numerous  attacks  directed 
against  the  life  of  individuals  and  private  property. 
Some  of  these  facts  are  already  known.  Suffice  it  to  re- 
call the  burning  of  Vise,  the  sacking  and  massacres  at 
Aerschot,  and,  especially,  the  destruction  of  the  old  Uni- 
versity City  of  Louvain,  which  the  Prime  Minister  of 
Great  Britain,  Mr.  Asquith,  declared  to  be  the  greatest 
crime  which  has  dishonored  a  belligerent  nation  since  the 
Thirty- Years  War  I 

In  order  to  justify  or,  at  least,  to  excuse  such  acts,  the 
German  authorities  claim  that  they  constituted  reprisals, 
which  were  caused  by  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  civil 
population. 

At  Aerschot,  for  instance,  the  prominent  inhabitants 
were  shot;  more  than  a  hundred  persons  were  massacred; 
a  number  of  houses  were  burnt :  it  was  said  that  this  was 
to  avenge  the  death  of  a  German  officer  who  had  been 
killed  by  the  son  of  the  burgomaster. 

At  Louvain  they  set  fire  to  the  four  corners  of  the  city. 
The  Library  of  the  University,  the  Church  of  St.  Pierre, 
with  its  paintings  and  other  art  treasures,  have  been 
reduced  to  ashes :  it  was  said  that  this  was  done  to  set  an 
example,  to  chastise  the  inhabitants  for  having  fired  upon 
German  troops. 

It  will  be  seen  in  the  report  of  the  Commission  of  In- 
quiry that  these  allegations  are  contradicted  by  numerous 
and  concurring  witnesses. 

The  witnesses  one  and  all  concur  in  saying  that  the 
son  of  the  burgomaster  of  Aerschot,   a   lad  of  fifteen 


PREFACE  XV 

years,  gentle  and  quiet,  was  absolutely  incapable  of  com- 
mitting the  murder  which  was  imputed  to  him. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  Louvain,  if  German  soldiers 
were  killed  in  the  course  of  a  nocturnal  panic,  everything 
leads  to  the  belief  that  they  were  shot,  on  entering  the 
city,  by  their  own  fellow-soldiers  who  took  them  for 
enemies.  However  that  may  be,  the  statement  that 
civilians  had  fired  shots  is  a  pure  allegation,  to  confirm 
which  there  was  not  a  shade  of  proof  forthcoming.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  denied  by  numerous  depositions. 
It  is  also  contradicted  by  the  fact  that,  long  before  the 
entrance  of  German  troops  into  the  city,  civilians  had 
been  disarmed. 

Moreover,  it  must  be  remembered  in  a  general  way 
that,  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  war,  the  Belgian 
Government  had  had  warnings  posted  in  every  locality 
of  the  Kingdom,  instructing  the  civil  population  not  to 
participate  in  any  way  in  military  operations.  More  than 
that,  anxious  to  avoid  any  chance  for  bloody  reprisals, 
it  had  ordered  the  deposit  of  all  arms  which  might  be 
found  upon  civilians. 

But,  admitting  for  a  moment,  for  the  sake  of  argu- 
ment, that,  in  spite  of  all  these  precautions,  acts  of 
violence  were  committed;  that  civilians  fired  upon  Ger- 
man troops,  or  spontaneously  defended  their  threatened 
homes.  As  long  as  the  territor>^  is  not  effectively  invested 
and  occupied  by  the  enemy,  article  2  of  The  Hague  con- 
vention authorizes  such  acts,  if  the  arms  be  carried  openly 
and  the  rules  of  warfare  be  respected. 

How'ever,  had  it  been  otherwise,  there  was  no  excuse 
for  holding  the  whole  population  collectively  responsible 
for  the  acts  of  a  small  number  of  individuals. 

If  the  son  of  the  burgomaster  at  Aerschot  had  been 

# 


xvi  PREFACE 

convicted  of  the  killing  of  the  German  officer;  if  some 
inhabitants  of  Louvain  had  really  fired  upon  German 
troops,  the  Germans  might  have  had  the  authors  of  such 
acts  punished  under  the  law  of  the  conqueror ;  instead,  by 
taking  hostages,  by  executing  innocent  men,  by  dissemi- 
nating everywhere  terror,  fire  and  death,  by  substituting 
• — as  savages  do — ^joint  responsibility  for  individual 
responsibility,  they  have  dishonored  warfare  and  forever 
destroyed  the  guaranties  which  the  law  of  nations  ac- 
cords to  peaceful  and  non-combatant  civilians. 

If  such  actions  were  not  held  up  to  universal  reproof, 
then  nothing  would  remain  of  this  International  Law, 
which,  for  the  last  half  century,  civilized  peoples  have 
striven  for  and  codified. 

Bluntschli,  the  Jurist,  magnificently  defined  this  law 
in  the  following  terms: 

"The  present  International  Law  denies  entirely  the 
right  to  dispose  arbitrarily  of  the  fate  of  individuals,  and 
does  not  admit  of  ill-treatment  or  violence  against  them. 
Personal  security,  honor  and  liberty  are  private  rights 
which  the  laws  of  war  do  not  permit  to  be  attacked.  The 
enemy  may  take  such  steps  only  as  are  necessary  for  mili- 
tary operations  or  necessary  for  the  safety  of  the  State." 

It  falls  to  the  honor  of  the  United  States  to  have  been 
the  first  nation  in  history  to  inscribe  its  principles  in  a 
code,  "Instructions  for  the  Army  During  the  Campaign." 
These  principles  have,  since  that  time,  been  accepted  by 
all  the  Powers  at  present  engaged  in  the  European  war. 
Germany  has  subscribed  to  them;  she  has  adopted  the 
rules  of  The  Hague.  She  has  given  before  the  associated 
nations  of  the  world  the  solemn  promise  not  to  infringe 
these  rules.  She  is  responsible  before  international  opin- 
ion for  this  promise. 


PREFACE  xvii 

To  that  opinion  this  appeal  is  addressed.  Supported 
by  her  rights,  ready  to  endure  everything  to  maintain 
them,  Belgium  does  not  ask  for  pity:  she  asks  for  justice. 
She  asks  it  for  herself  and  asks  it  especially  for  the  honor 
of  civilization  and  of  humanity. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Address v 

Preface ix 

I.     The  Violation  of  the  Neutrality  of  Belgium 

AND  OF  Belgian  Territory       .....  3 

II.     Attacks  on  the  Property  of  Individuals  and 
THE  Confiscation  of  the  Funds  of  Private 

AND  Public  Institutions 15 

III.  Bombardment  in  Violation  of  the  Hague  Rules  21 

IV.  The  Use  of  Explosive  Bullets 27 

V.     Findings  of  the  Commission  of  Inquiry      .       .  31 

VI.     Proceedings  of  the  Commission  of  Inquiry  .      .  51 

Appendix 117 


THE   VIOLATION   OF  THE   NEUTRALITY  OF 
BELGIUM  AND  OF  BELGIAN  TERRITORY 


THE  VIOLATION  OF  THE  NEUTRALITY  OF 
BELGIUM  AND  OF  BELGIAN  TERRITORY 

The  peculiarity  about  Belgian  neutrality  is  that 
it  has  been  imposed  upon  her  by  the  Powers  as  the  one 
condition  upon  which  they  recognized  her  national  exist- 
ence. 

No  sooner  had  the  Belgians  proclaimed  their  inde- 
pendence, than  the  Five  Powers,  England,  France,  Aus- 
tria, Prussia  and  Russia,  met  in  conference  in  London. 
There  they  signed,  on  June  26th,  1831,  the  document 
known  as  "The  Treaty  of  18  Articles." 

The  text  of  articles  9  and  10  of  the  said  treaty  is  as 
follows : 

''Art.  g:  Belgium,  within  the  limits  traced  in  con- 
formity with  the  principles  laid  down  in  the  present 
preliminaries,  shall  form  a  perpetually  neutral  State. 
The  Five  Powers,  without  wishing  to  intervene  in  the 
internal  affairs  of  Belgium,  guarantee  her  that  {perpetual 
neutrality  as  well  as  the  integrity  and  inviolability  of 
her  territory  in  the  limits  mentioned  in  the  present  arti- 
cle." 

''Art.  10:  By  just  reciprocity  Belgium  shall  be  held 
to  observe  this  same  neutrality  toward  all  the  other 
States  and  to  make  no  attack  on  their  internal  or  external 
tranquillity  whilst  always  preserving  the  right  to  defend 
herself  against  any  foreign  aggression." 

This  agreement  was  followed  up  on  January  23rd, 
1839,  by  a  definitive  treaty,  accepted  by  Belgium  and  by 

3 


4  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

the  Netherlands,  which  treaty  regulates  Belgium's  neu- 
trality as  follows: 

''Art.  y:  Belgium,  within  the  limits  defined  in  arti- 
cles 1,  2  and  4,  shall  form  an  independent  and  perpetu- 
ally neutral  State.  She  is  obligated  to  preserve  this  neu- 
trality against  all  the  other  States." 

All  the  articles  of  this  treaty  were  placed  under  the 
guarantee  of  the  Powers. 

Belgium  has  always  loyally  and  strictly  fulfilled  her 
duties  inherent  to  this  neutrality;  on  the  other  hand,  the 
Powers,  guarantors  of  her  neutrality,  had  remained  faith- 
ful to  their  word. 

Thus,  in  1870,  at  the  time  when  the  Franco-Prussian 
War  broke  out,  the  two  belligerent  Powers,  when  invited 
by  Great  Britain  to  manifest  their  intentions  with  re- 
gard to  Belgium's  neutrality,  both  of  them  replied  that 
they  intended  to  respect  it  fully.  In  fact,  neither  Bel- 
gium's neutrality  nor  her  territorial  integrity  were  com- 
promised in  1870. 

Ever  since  that  time,  no  occasion  has  been  omitted  by 
the  Powers,  guarantors  of  her  neutrality,  and  especially 
by  Germany,  to  express  to  Belgium  their  friendly  feel- 
ing, as  well  as  their  admiration  for  the  moral  and  ma- 
terial progress  achieved  by  the  young  Kingdom,  whose 
existence  they  had,  in  1831,  recognized  and  guaranteed. 
Thus,  in  1910,  His  Majesty,  William  II,  paid  an  official 
visit  to  His  Majesty,  the  King  of  the  Belgians  in  Brussels. 
At  that  time  he  expressed  himself  in  most  laudatory 
terms  about  the  Belgian  Nation  and  its  institutions.  He 
thanked  Belgium  for  the  reception  tendered  to  thousands 
of  German  subjects  who  had  in  the  Kingdom  found  hos- 
pitality and  wealth.  During  the  summer  of  1913,  the 
German  Emperor,  taking  advantage  of  the  'Moyeuse  En- 


.    VIOLATION  OF  BELGIAN   NEUTRALITY      5 

tree"  of  the  King  and  Queefi,  and  die  Royal  children  into 
Liege,  availed  himself  of  the  occasion  to  send  to  them  as 
.  special  envoy  General  von  Emmich,  who  brought  to  the 
Royal  Family  the  solenm  assurance  of  the  German  Em- 
peror's cordial  friendship. 

On  Sunday,  August  2nd,  1914,  at  7  o'clock  in  the  eve- 
ning, without  the  least  warning  of  such  an  incredible  de- 
cision, the  German  Minister  in  Brussels  handed  to  the 
Belgian  Government  the  following  ultimatum,  requesting 
a  reply  within  12  hours: 

"Brussels,  August  2nd,  1914. 

"The  German  Government  has  received  positive  infor- 
mation according  to  which  French  forces  intend  to  march 
upon  the  Meuse  by  way  of  Givet  and  Namur.  This  in- 
formation leaves  no  doubt  as  to  France's  intention  to 
march  upon  Germany  through  Belgian  territory.  The 
Imperial  German  Government  cannot  help  fearing  that 
Belgium,  in  spite  of  her  willingness  to  prevent  this,  may 
not  be  in  a  position  to  repulse,  without  assistance,  a 
French  movement  of  such  proportions.  This  fact  is  suffi- 
cient evidence  of  a  French  attack  directed  against  Ger- 
many. 

"It  is  Germany's  imperative  duty  of  self-preservation 
to  forestall  this  attack  of  the  enemy. 

"The  German  Government  should  greatly  regret  if 
Belgium  should  regard  as  an  act  of  hostility  directed 
against  herself  the  fact  that  the  steps  taken  by  Germany's 
enemies  oblige  her,  on  her  side,  to  violate  Belgian  ter- 
ritory. 

"In  order  to  avoid  any  misunderstanding,  the  German 
Government  declares  the  following: 

"1st:  Germany  does  not  contemplate  any  hostile  act 
against  Belgium.  If  Belgium — in  the  war  which  is  immi- 
nent— will  consent  to  adopt  an  attitude  of  friendly  neu- 


6  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

trality  toward  Germany,  the  German  Government  on 
the  other  hand  promises  that,  when  peace  is  concluded, 
it  will  protect  the  Kingdom  and  all  its  possessions  to 
their  fullest  extent. 

"2nd:  Germany  promises,  on  the  condition  set  forth 
above,  to  evacuate  Belgian  territory  as  soon  as  peace  is 
concluded. 

"3rd:  If  Belgium  preserves  a  friendly  attitude,  Ger- 
many declares  herself  ready,  in  concurrence  with  the  au- 
thorities of  the  Belgian  Government,  to  buy  for  ready 
cash  everything  necessary  to  its  troops,  *and  to  indemnify 
Belgium  for  the  damage  caused  in  her  territory. 

"4th:  Should  Belgium  behave  in  a  hostile  manner 
toward  German  troops,  especially  by  placing  difficulties 
in  the  line  of  their  march,  or  by  resisting  with  the  forts  of 
the  Meuse,  or  by  destroying  highways,  railroads  and  tun- 
nels, or  other  works,  Germany  shall  be  obliged  to  consider 
Belgium  as  an  enemy. 

"In  that  case,  Germany  will  make  no  promises  to  the 
Kingdom,  but  will  leave  to  the  decision  of  arms  the 
regulation  of  the  ultimate  relations  of  the  two  States  to- 
ward each  other.  The  German  Government  is  justified 
in  hoping  that  this  eventuality  will  not  arise,  and  that 
the  Belgian  Government  will  take  appropriate  steps  to 
prevent  its  arising.  In  that  case  the  friendly  relations  of 
the  two  States  will  become  closer  and  more  lasting." 

On  receipt  of  this  ultimatum,  the  Council  of  Ministers, 
sitting  under  the  Presidency  of  the  King,  and  completed 
by  the  Ministers  of  State,  decided  unanimously  to  reply 
to  this  extraordinary  and  outrageous  ultimatum  by  the 
following  note  which  was  handed  to  the  German  Minis- 
ter in  Brussels  on  Monday,  August  3rd,   at  7  o'clock 

A.  M. 

"August  3rd,   1914. 
"Under  date  of  August  2nd,  1914,  the  German  Gov- 
ernment has  announced  that,  according  to  positive  in- 


VIOLATION  OF  BELGIAN  NEUTRALITY     7 

formation,  the  French  intended  to  march  upon  the  Meuse 
by  way  of  Givet  and  Namur,  and  that  Belgium,  in  spite 
of  its  willingness  to  prevent  this,  would  not  be  in  a  posi- 
tion to  repulse  without  assistance  a  forward  march  of 
French  troops,  that  the  German  Government  considered 
itself  obliged  to  forestall  this  attack  and  to  violate  Bel- 
gian territory.  Under  these  conditions  Germany  pro- 
poses to  the  King's  Government  to  adopt  toward  her  a 
friendly  attitude  and  promises,  at  the  time  when  peace  is 
concluded,  to  protect  the  integrity  of  the  Kingdom  and  its 
possessions  to  their  fullest  extent.  The  notification  adds 
that  if  Belgium  offers  difficulties  to  the  forward  march  of 
German  troops,  Germany  shall  be  obliged  to  consider 
Belgium  as  an  enemy  and  to  leave  to  the  decision  of 
arms  the  regulation  of  the  ultimate  relations  of  the  two 
States. 

"This  notification  has  profoundly  and  painfully  aston- 
ished the  King's  Government. 

"The  intentions  which  she  attributes  to  France  are  in 
contradiction  to  the  formal  declarations  made  to  us 
under  date  of  August  1st  in  the  name  of  the  Government 
of  the  Republic. 

"Moreover,  if,  contrary  to  our  expectation,  the  coun- 
try's neutrality  should  be  violated  by  France,  Bel- 
gium would  fulfill  its  international  duties  and  her 
army  would  oppose  a  most  vigorous  resistance  to  the 
invader. 

"The  treaties  of  1839,  confirmed  by  the  treaties  of 
1870,  perpetuate  Belgium's  independence  and  neutrality 
under  the  guarantee  of  the  Powers,  and  especially  under 
the  guarantee  of  the  Government  of  his  Majesty  the 
King  of  Prussia. 

"Belgium  has  always  faithfully  observed  her  interna- 
tional obligations;  she  has  fulfilled  her  duties  in  a  spirit 
of  loyal  impartiality;  she  has  neglected  no  opportunity  to 
maintain  her  neutrality  and  to  cause  it  to  be  respected 
by  others. 

"The  attack  upon  her  independence  with  which  Ger- 


8  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

many  menaces  her  is  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  law  of 
Nations. 

"No  strategic  interest  can  justify  the  violation  of  that 
right. 

"The  Belgian  Government,  by  accepting  the  proposi- 
tions mentioned,  would  sacrifice  its  national  honor  and 
betray  at  the  same  time  its  duty  toward  Europe. 

"Conscious  of  the  role  which  Belgium  has  played  for 
more  than  80  years  in  the  civilized  world,  it  refuses  to  be- 
lieve that  its  independence  can  only  be  preserved  at  the 
price  of  a  violation  of  its  neutrality. 

"If  the  Belgian  Government  be  disappointed  in  its 
expectations,  it  is  resolved  to  repulse  by  every  means  in 
its  power  any  attack  upon  its  rights." 

The  following  morning  the  Belgian  Parliament  was 
hurriedly  summoned.  His  Majesty  the  King  opened 
the  Session  with  the  following  speech,  which  was  received 
with  enthusiastic  acclamations : 

"Gentlemen : 

"Never,  since  1830,  has  a  more  serious  hour  struck 
for  Belgium :  the  integrity  of  our  territory  is  threatened ! 

"The  very  strength  of  our  right,  the  sympathy  which 
Belgium,  proud  of  her  free  institutions  and  of  her  moral 
conquests,  has  uninterruptedly  enjoyed  at  the  hands  of 
other  nations,  the  necessity  of  her  autonomous  existence 
for  the  equilibrium  of  Europe,  still  make  us  hope  that 
the  threatening  events  will  not  take  place. 

"However,  if  our  expectations  be  deceived,  if  we  are 
obliged  to  resist  the  invaders  of  our  soil. and  to  defend 
our  menaced  homes,  this  duty,  however  hard,  will  find 
us  armed  and  pre{)ared  for  the  greatest  sacrifices. 

"Already  our  gallant  youth,  in  anticipation  of  every 
eventuality,  is  ready,  firmly  resolved,  with  the  traditional 
tenacity  and  coolness  of  the  Belgians,  to  defend  the  en- 
dangered country. 

"In  the  name  of  the  nation,  I  fraternally  salute  the 


VIOLATION  OF  BELGIAN  NEUTRALITY     9 

army.  Everywhere,  Flemings  and  Walloons,  in  the  cities 
and  in  the  countr)^,  one  sole  sentiment  binds  our  hearts: 
Patriotism;  one  sole  vision  fills  our  spirits:  our  endan- 
gered independence ;  one  sole  duty  imposes  itself  upon  us : 
a  stubborn  resistance. 

"Under  these  circumstances  two  virtues  are  indispen- 
sable: a  cool  courage,  but  a  strong  courage,  and  a  close 
union  of  all  the  Belgian  people. 

"Both  of  these  virtues  have  already  been  demonstrated 
brilliantly  under  the  eyes  of  the  Nation,  filled  with  en- 
thusiasm. 

"The  perfect  mobilization  of  our  army,  the  number 
of  voluntary  enlistments,  the  devotion  of  the  civil 
population,  the  self-denial  of  families,  have  shown, 
beyond  dispute,  the  consoling  bravery  which  animates  the 
whole  Belgian  people. 

"The  time  for  action  has  come. 

"I  have  assembled  you.  Gentlemen,  in  order  to  allow 
the  Legislative  Chambers  to  unite  with  the  people  in  the 
same  spirit  of  sacrifice. 

"You  will  therefore  immediately  take  measures  neces- 
sary for  war  as  well  as  for  preservation  of  public  order, 
under  the  present  circumstances. 

"When  I  look  upon  this  enthusiastic  assembly,  an  as- 
sembly in  which  there  is  but  one  party,  the  side  of  the 
Fatherland,  where  every  heart  beats  in  unison,  my  mind 
goes  back  to  the  Congress  of  1830,  and  I  ask  you,  Gen- 
tlemen, are  you  firmly  resolved  to  maintain  the  sacred 
patrimony  of  your  forefathers'? 

"None  in  this  country  but  will  do  his  duty. 

"The  army,  strong  and  disciplined  as  it  is,  is  equal 
to  its  task.  My  Government  and  myself  have  the  utmost 
confidence  in  its  leaders  and  its  soldiers. 

"Closely  allied  with  the  population,  and  supported  by 
it,  the  Government  is  conscious  of  its  responsibilities  and 
will  assume  them  to  the  very  end  with  the  deliberate  con- 
viction that  the  efforts  of  each  and  every  one,  if  .united 


lo  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

in  a  spirit  of  most  fervent  patriotism,  will  safeguard  the 
supreme  welfare  of  the  country. 

"If  the  foreigner,  trampling  upon  our  neutrality,  the 
duties  of  which  we  have  always  scrupulously  observed, 
violates  the  territory,  he  will  find  every  Belgian  around 
his  Sovereign,  who  will  never  betray  his  Constitutional 
Oath,  and  around  the  Government  invested  with  the 
supreme  confidence  of  the  entire  nation. 

"I  have  faith  in  our  destiny:  a  country  which  defends 
itself  cannot  but  gain  the  respect  of  everyone :  that  coun- 
try cannot  perish. 

"God  will  be  with  us  in  this  just  cause. 

"Long  live  independent  Belgium  I" 

At  that  very  hour  an  immense  German  army,  under  the 
leadership  of  General  von  Emmich,  penetrated  into  Bel- 
gium, and  began  a  bloody  war  in  which — irritated  ap- 
parently by  the  gallant  resistance  which  they  encountered 
at  the  hands  of  a  small  country,  a  country  faithful  to  its 
duties  and  true  to  its  honor — the  army  committed  innu- 
merable horrors  and  atrocities. 

On  that  same  day,  August  4th,  1914,  Mr.  von  Beth- 
mann-HoUwegg,  Chancellor  of  the  German  Empire, 
speaking  from  the  Tribune  of  the  Reichstag,  made  the 
following  admission :  "Our  troops  have  occupied  Luxem- 
burg, and  are  perhaps  even  now  trampling  upon  Belgian 
soil.    This  act  is  contrary  to  the  law  of  Nations." 

The  German  Government,  then,  is  conscious  of  its 
wrong-doing.  As  one  of  the  guarantors  of  Belgium's  neu- 
trality, it  wanted  to  force  Belgium  to  relinquish  its  neu- 
trality for  Germany's  benefit.  Because  Belgium  would 
not  consent  to  this  perjury,  and  because  Germany  could 
not  reproach  her  with  anything  else,  Germany  invaded 
and  covered  with  blood  and  ruin  a  small,  peaceful  coun- 


VIOLATION  OF  BELGIAN  NEUTRALITY    ii 

try,  of  hardworking  and  honest  people,  a  country  which 
it  had  promised  to  protect! 

This  attack  upon  her  neutrality  is  the  first  violation 
for  which  Belgium  asks  judgment  from  the  universal  con- 
science. 

The  entire  Belgo-German  question  to-day  is  dominated 
by  the  fact  of  this  violation  of  the  neutrality  of  Bel- 
gium. 

Therefore,  there  is  not  a  single  shot  fired  by  a  German 
soldier  in  Belgium  which  is  not  manifestly  and  avowedly 
belying  most  sacred  things:  the  keeping  of  a  solemn 
pledge  and  the  fulfillment  of  promises  voluntarily  given ! 


II 


ATTACKS  ON  THE  PROPERTY  OF  INDIVID- 
UALS AND  THE  CONFISCATION  OF  THE 
FUNDS  OF  PRIVATE  AND  PUBLIC  INSTI- 
rUTIONS 


ATTACKS  ON  THE  PROPERTY  OF  INDIVID- 
UALS AND  THE  CONFISCATION  OF  THE 
FUNDS  OF  PRIVATE  AND  PUBLIC  INSTI^ 
TUTIONS 

In  the  days  of  barbarism,  the  population  of  a  territory 
occupied  by  the  enemy  was  deprived  of  all  judicial  capac- 
ity. "At  that  time,"  as  Ghering  writes  ironically,  "the 
enemy  was  absolutely  deprived  of  rights;  everything  he 
owned  belonged  to  the  gallant  warrior  who  had  wrenched 
it  away  from  him.    One  had  merely  to  lose  it  I" 

In  our  days,  the  rules  of  warfare  clearly  establish  the 
difference  between  the  property  of  the  Government  of 
the  territory  occupied,  and  the  property  of  individuals. 
While  the  present  doctrine  allows  the  conqueror  to  seize, 
in  a  general  way,  everything  in  the  way  of  movable  prop- 
erty belonging  to  the  State,  it  obliges  him  on  the  other 
hand  to  respect  the  property  of  individuals,  corporations, 
and  public  provincial  administrations. 

The  Hague  Convention,  signed  on  October  l8th,  1897, 
by  all  the  civilized  States,  and  among  others  by  Ger- 
many,  contains  the  following  stipulations  regarding  laws 
and  customs  of  warfare  on  land: 

Art.  46:  The  honor  and  the  rights  of  the  family,  the 
life  of  individuals  and  private  property,  as  well  as  re- 
ligious convictions  and  the  exercise  of  worship,  must  be 
respected.     Private  property  cannot  be  confiscated. 

Art,  4"/:     Pillaging  is  formally  prohibited. 

Art.  5j.*     When  occupying  a  territory,  the  army  can 

15 


i6  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

only  seize  cash  as  well  as  funds  and  securities  belonging 
entirely  to  the  State,  also  depots  of  arms,  ways  and  means 
of  transportation,  warehouses  and  provisions,  and,  in  a 
general  way,  all  movable  property  belonging  to  the  State, 
and  liable  to  be  used  for  warlike  operations.   .   .   . 

Art.  ^6:  Property  of  municipalities,  property  of 
establishments  consecrated  to  worship,  to  charity  and  in- 
struction, to  art  and  science,  even  though  belonging  to 
the  State,  will  be  treated  as  private  property.  .  .  . 

In  defiance  of  these  conventional  rules,  voluntarily  and 
solemnly  accepted  by  Germany,  she  has  committed  from 
the  beginning  of  her  invasion  of  Belgian  soil,  numerous 
attacks  upon  private  property. 

Aside  from  facts  which  have  been  collected  by  the  Com- 
mission of  Inquiry,  the  minutes  of  which  will  be  found 
further  on,  the  German  army  has  unwarrantably  seized 
the  funds  of  the  branches  of  the  National  Bank  in  the 
cities  of  Hasselt  and  Liege. 

At  Hasselt,  on  August  12th,  1914,  Germans  confiscated 
the  funds  of  the  branch  of  the  National  Bank,  which 
amounted  to  2,075,000  francs.  At  Liege,  on  enter- 
ing the  city,  they  forcibly  seized  the  funds  of  a  branch 
of  the  same  bank,  amounting  to  4,000,000  francs. 
Moreover,  upon  finding  at  that  branch  bundles  of 
bank-notes  (^  franc  denomination),  representing  an 
amount  of  400,000  francs,  and  which  were  not  yet 
signed,  they  forced  a  printer  to  sign  those  bank  notes  by 
means  of  a  rubber  stamp  which  they  had  also  seized ;  and 
they  afterwards  put  them  into  circulation. 

It  is  indisputable  that  the  National  Bank,  in  spite 
of  its  title,  is  a  private  institution.  Far  from  being 
an  institution  of  the  State,  administered  by  officials, 
it  is  a  shareholders'  corporation,  the  capital  being  obtained 


ATTACKS   ON    PROPERTY  17 

by  subscription  of  private  parties.  Stockholders  partici- 
pate in  its  administration  by  representation.  The  right 
conferred  upon  the  bank  to  issue  notes,  as  well  as  its 
quality  of  a  State  Depository,  explains  and  justifies  the 
Government's  intervention  in  the  bank's  organization. 
This  intervention,  however,  does  not  in  any  way  affect 
the  bank's  autonomy. 

The  private  character  of  the  Belgian  National  Bank  is 
even,  more  apparent  than  that  of  the  French  National 
Bank.  Thus,  in  1870,  during  the  Franco-Prussian  War, 
when  the  Prussians  entered  Rheims  on  September  4,  1870, 
they  wanted  to  confiscate  the  funds  of  the  branch  of  the 
National  Bank  of  France.  It  being  intimated  to  them 
by  the  directors  of  the  said  branch  that  the  bank  was  a 
private  institution  and  therefore  entitled  to  safety  under 
the  law  of  nations.  Crown  Prince  Frederick  ordered  that 
"funds  which  were  found  at  the  'Banque  Nationale  de 
France'  could  not  be  seized  or  held  as  long  as  they  were 
not  used  for  the  maintenance  of  the  French  army." 
(Paul  Schiemann,  Rechstlage  der  offentlichen  Banken  im 
Kriegsfalle.    Greif-Wald,  1902,  page  76.) 

Thus,  Germany  herself,  as  long  ago  as  1870,  acknowl- 
edged the  illegality  of  procedures  to  which  she  is  to-day 
freely  resorting  in  Belgium — illegality  which  to-day  is 
even  more  strictly  defined  by  The  Hague  Conven- 
tion which  she  signed  in  1907. 

Besides  these  unjustifiable  confiscations  must  be  men- 
tioned those  of  public  funds,  seized  by  German  troops  in 
most  cities  and  villages  occupied  by  them.  By  confiscat- 
ing the  funds  of  the  post  offices,  Germany  has  also  confis- 
cated the  savings  belonging  to  numerous  working  people 
affiliated  with  the  "Caisse  d'Epargne  et  de  Retraite" ;  this 


i8  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUiM 

service  being  conducted  by  the  Belgian  Post  Office  au- 
thorities. 

Not  satisfied  with  these  numerous  confiscations,  the 
German  army  has  levied  from  every  Belgian  city  of  im- 
portance, huge  quantities  of  provisions.  To  this  she  has 
also  added  war  contributions.  Thus,  for  instance,  she  has 
tried  to  levy  upon  the  city  of  Brussels  the  sum  of  50,000,- 
000  francs,  and  upon  the  unfortunate  Province  of  Bra- 
bant, so  sorely  tried  by  carnage,  the  sum  of  450,000,000 
francs  I  I  Whereas,  according  to  article  52  of  The  Hague 
Convention,  contributions  and  services  can  be  levied  upon 
the  enemy  "only  to  the  extent  of  the  needs  of  the  invad- 
ing army  and  in  proportion  to  the  resources  of  the  country 
and  of  the  population;  and  provided  they  will  not  put  the 
population  under  obligation  to  participate  in  warlike 
operations  against  its  own  country." 


f> 


III 

BOMBARDMENT     IN     VIOLATION     OF    THE 
HAGUE  RULES 


/ 


i 


BOMBARDMENT     IN     VIOLATION     OF     THE 
HAGUE  RULES 

Belgium,  like  the  United  States,  has  accepted  and 
adopted  as  a  regulation  concerning  the  laws  of  war- 
fare, the  article  of  the  Hague  Convention  of  1907,  pro- 
hibiting "the  throwing  of  projectiles  and  explosives  from 
balloons,  or  by  any  other  agency."  Germany,  on  the  con- 
trary (as  well  as  several  other  Powers),  has  accepted  it 
with  certain  reservations.  However,  she  has  uncondi- 
tionally subscribed  to  the  following  regulations: 

"It  is  prohibited  to  attack  or  to  bombard,  by  any  means 
whatsoever,  cities  and  villages,  dwellings  and  buildings 
which  are  undefended. 

"The  commander  of  the  attacking  troops,  before  un- 
dertaking to  bombard — except  in  cases  of  assault — must 
use  every  effort  in  his  power  to  warn  the  authorities." 

In  spite  of  this,  German  aeroplanes  and  dirigibles,  since 
the  beginning  of  the  war,  have  repeatedly  bombarded 
localities  which  were  undefended,  or  have  done  so  with- 
out any  previous  warning,  attacking  fortified  places  which 
were  neither  besieged  nor  invested.  This  is  true  espe- 
cially in  the  case  of  Louvain,  Namur  and  Antwerp. 

The  present  writer  happened  to  be  in  Antwerp  when, 
during  the  night  of  August  24th  to  25th,  a  dirigible  of  the^ 
Zeppelin  type  appeared  over  the  city  and  threw  explosive  | 
bombs  in  the  direction  of  the  Royal  Palace,  the  building  I 
occupied  by  the  Government  and  other  public  buddings. 


22  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

It  is  evident  that  the  attack  was  specially  directed 
against  members  of  the  Royal  family  and  the  Ministers. 
However,  their  projectiles,  nine  in  number,  fell  into  the 
street  and  upon  private  residences,  which  were  partially 
demolished.  Eight  persons  were  instantly  killed;  others 
were  more  or  less  seriously  hurt,  and  two  of  them  did 
not  survive  their  injuries. 

We  have  personally  witnessed  the  damage  caused  by 
these  bombs:. 

(a)  In  the  Rue  Leopold,  for  instance,  adjacent  to  the 
Stock  Exchange,  the  two  top  floors  of  a  house  were  en- 
tirely demolished  by  the  explosion. 

(b)  In  the  Rue  des  Escrimeurs,  near  the  hotel  in- 
habited by  the  cabinet  ministers,  the  residences  of 
Lawyer  Spec  and  Dr.  Mertens  were  seriously  damaged 
by  two  bombs.  The  roof  of  Dr.  Mertens'  house  was 
ripped  open  and  two  unfortunate  servants  were  killed 
in  their  beds. 

(c)  In  the  Place  du  Poids  Public  a  bomb  fell  on  the 
pavement.  Fragments  of  it  scattered  with  intense  force 
all  over  the  place.  Not  a  house  facing  the  square  but  was 
covered  with  holes.  A  policeman  on  guard  was  literally 
cut  to  pieces:  all  that  was  found  of  him  was  a  leg  cov- 
ered with  a  few  rags  of  his  uniform.  Five  other  persons 
who  had  opened  their  windows  at  the  report  of  the  ex- 
plosion were  also  blown  to  atoms.  We  visited  the  bed- 
rooms of  two  houses  facing  one  another.  In  the  first  there 
had  been  three  corpses — which  had  already  been  removed 
when  we  visited  the  house,  but  the  blood  was  scattered 
all  over  the  place.  The  floor  was  covered  with  frag- 
ments of  the  windows  and  with  bloodsoaked  underwear. 
On  the  ceiling  and  on  the  walls,  parts  of  intestines  and 
brains  were  still  visible.    In  the  other  house  two  old  per- 


BOMBARDMENTS  23 

sons  had  been  killed  while  looking  down  upon  the  street. 
We  found,  suspended  from  the  wall,  the  pictures  of  the 
victims,  together  with  the  picture  of  their  son,  killed  some 
days  before,  on  the  battlefield  I 

The  day  following  our  departure  for  the  United  States, 
the  same  Zeppelin  re-appeared  and  again  threw  bombs. 
This  time  again,  according  to  the  newspapers,  several  in- 
offensive persons  were  killed. 

We  shall  not  qualify  such  acts.  It  is  not  sufficient  for 
certain  Governments  to  have  reserved  to  themselves  the 
right  to  commit  them  in  order  to  justify  them  before  the 
conscience  of  the  whole  world.  We  denounce  them  as 
flagrant  breaches  of  the  above  mentioned  articles  of  the 
Hague  Declaration. 

The  sense  and  the  purpose  of  these  articles  are  per- 
fectly clear.  By  prohibiting  the  bombardment  of  un- 
defended cities,  by  requiring  notice  to  be  given  previously 
before  bombarding  fortified  places,  it  was  intended  to 
protect  the  civil  population.  It  was  done  to  allow  non- 
combatants,  women,  and  children  to  flee,  if  possible,  from 
the  horrible  consequences  of  bombardment. 

On  August  24th  to  25th  Antwerp  was  neither  invested 
nor  besieged.  No  assault  had  been  made  against  the  city, 
and — without  previous  advice — in  the  dead  of  the  night 
— houses  were  bombarded  and  inoffensive  and  peaceful  in- 
habitants slain. 

In  the  same  manner,  a  few  days  later,  German  troops 
— ^by  a  new  breach  of  the  conventional  rules  mentioned 
above — bombarded  the  village  of  Heyst-op-den-Berg  and 
the  city  of  Malines,  which  were  undefended  and  in  which 
there  was  not  a  single  Belgian  soldier. 

One  of  us  visited  Malines  during  the  bombardment. 
The  city  was  deserted.    Almost  every  inhabitant,  follow- 


24  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

ing  in  the  wake  of  the  Belgian  army,  had  taken  refuge 
in  the  retrenched  camp  around  Antwerp.  About  every 
four  minutes  a  German  battery  iired  a  shell  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Cathedral  of  Saint  Rombault.  We  had  oc- 
casion to  notice,  two  or  three  days  later,  that  the  resi- 
dences damaged  by  the  bombardment  were  all,  without 
exception,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Cathedral,  and  that  the 
church  itself,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  religious  edifices, 
had  been  hit  and  damaged  by  numerous  shells.  From  a 
military  standpoint  there  was  no  reason  why  the  bom- 
bardment should  have  taken  place.  Such  a  deed  of  van- 
dalism can  only  be  explained  as  a  desire  for  vengeance,  or 
as  a  desire  to  create  a  panic  and  to  terrorize  the  inhabi- 
tants. We  denounce  it — whatever  motive  may  have 
prompted  it — as  a  violation  of  the  rules  of  war  and  of 
the  conventional  pledge  made  by  Germany  at  the  Hague 
Conference. 


IV 

THE  USE  OF  EXPLOSIVE  BULLETS 


THE  USE  OF  EXPLOSIVE  BULLETS 

The  rules  concerning  the  laws  and  customs  of  war- 
fare on  land,  as  adopted  by  the  Hague  Conference  of 
1907,  expressly  prohibit  (article  23)  "the  use  of  arms, 
projectiles  and  other  materials  liable  to  cause  useless  in- 
juries." 

It  has  been  established  that,  in  spite  of  this  regulation, 
the  German  army  in  Belgium  used  explosive  bullets  for 
rifles  and  revolvers. 

Not  alone  the  testimony  of  various  witnesses  goes  to 
prove  that  German  soldiers  when  retreating  before  the 
Belgian  army  at  Aerschot  used  such  bullets:  the  medical 
report  printed  below  testifies  to  the  same  effect : 

"MEDICAL  REPORT: 

"The  undersigned,  physicians,  attached  to  the  4th  Regi- 
ment of  Lancers  of  Belgium,  declare  that  after  the  fight 
Dn  August  26th,  1914,  at  Werchter,  we  were  taking  care 
of  a  soldier  from  the  5th  Regiment  of  Lancers.  The 
wound  which  he  displayed  on  his  forearm  was  such  that 
we  cannot  help  believing  that  it  must  have  been  caused 
by  an  explosive  bullet,  as  no  shrapnel  had  been  fired  by 
-the  enemy  during  their  engagement  with  the  Lancers. 
Signed  in  Ranst,  on  August  27th,   1914: 

Dr.  Attichaux, 

Dr.   VANDEMAELEi 

in  the  presence  of  the  Colonel  attached  to  the  General 
Staff:  (Signed)  Gilain." 

27 


28  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

What  seems  to  confirm  this  testimony  is  the  fact  that 
on  Wednesday,  August  26th,  in  the  evening,  after  the 
light  at  Werchter,  explosive  bullets  were  picked  up  by 
officers  of  the  Belgian  General  Staff  on  the  ground  which 
the  enemy  had  just  evacuated. 

Two  bullets  of  this  description,  one  for  rifle  and  the 
other  for  pistol,  are  submitted,  together  with  the  docu- 
ments, to  the  President  of  the  United  States  by  the  Bel- 
gian Mission.  These  bullets  are  accompanied  by  the 
following  certificate : 

"The  attached  explosive  bullets  for  rifle  and  revolver 
were  picked  up  at  Werchter  on  the  ground  evacuated  by 
the  enemy  on  Wednesday  evening,  August  26th. 

"The  Commander  attached  to  the  General  Staff: 

"(Signed)  Dubois." 


V 

FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  OF  INQUIRY 


L 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  OF  INQUIRY 


THE    ATROCITIES    AT    LINSMEAU    AND    ORSMAEL 

Belgium,  who  wanted  peace,  has  been  compelled  by 
Germany  to  resort  to  arms  and  to  oppose  a  legitimate 
defense  to  an  aggression  which  nothing  can  justify  and 
which  is  contrary  to  the  solemn  pledges  of  treaties. 

Belgium  is  bound  in  honor  to  fight  loyally  and  to  ob- 
serve all  the  rules,  laws  and  customs  of  war. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  invasion  of  its  territory  by 
German  troops,  the  Belgian  Government  posted,  each  and 
every  day,  in  all  the  towns,  and  the  papers  each  day 
printed,  instructions  warning  non-combatant  civilians  not 
to  offer  any  resistance  to  the  troops  and  soldiers  invading 
the  country. 

The  information  on  which  the  German  Government 
believes  to-day  that  it  can  base  its  contention  that  the 
Belgian  population  contravenes  the  law  of  nations  and 
is  not  worthy  of  respect,  is  assuredly  wrong. 

The  Belgian  Government  protests  most  vigorously 
against  the  allegations  produced  and  against  the  odious 
threats  of  retaliation. 

If  any  contravention  of  the  rules  of  warfare  by  Bel- 
gian civilians  should  ultimately  be  proven,  one  need  only, 
to  appreciate  such  fact,  realize  the  well-founded  over- 
excitation which  the  cruelties  of  the  German  soldiers  are 

31 


32  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

provoking  among  the  Belgian  population,  a  population 
which  is  thoroughly  honest  but  energetic  in  the  defense 
of  its  rights  and  in  its  respect  for  humanity. 

If  we  were  to  publish  a  list  of  these  atrocities,  of  which 
the  first  ones  are  here  recorded,  this  would  indeed  be  a 
long  list. 

Whole  regions  have  been  ravaged  and  abominable 
deeds  perpetrated  in  the  towns. 

A  committee  attached  to  the  Department  of  Justice  is 
drawing  up  a  list  of  these  horrors  with  scrupulous  impar- 
tiality. 

As  an  example,  a  few  facts  are  here  published,  facts 
which  will  depict  the  state  of  mind  and  the  procedure  of 
certain  German  troops. 

1st.  German  cavalry,  occupying  the  village  of  Lins- 
meau,  were  attacked  by  some  Belgian  infantry  and  two 
gendarmes.  A  German  officer  was  killed  by  our  troops 
during  the  fight,  and  subsequently  buried  at  the  request 
of  the  Belgian  officer  in  command.  None  of  the  civilian 
population  took  part  in  the  fighting  at  Linsmeau.  Never- 
theless the  village  was  invaded  at  dusk  on  August  loth 
by  a  strong  force  of  German  cavalry,  artillery  and  ma- 
chine guns.  In  spite  of  formal  assurances  given  by  the 
Burgomaster  that  none  of  the  peasants  had  taken  part 
in  the  previous  fighting,  two  farms  and  six  outlying  houses 
were  destroyed  by  gun-fire  and  burned.  All  the  male 
population  were  then  compelled  to  come  forward  and 
hand  over  whatever  arms  they  possessed.  No  recently 
discharged  firearms  were  found.  Nevertheless  the  invad- 
ers divided  these  peasants  into  three  groups.  Those  in 
one  group  were  bound  and  eleven  of  them  placed  in  a 
ditch,  where  they  were  afterwards  found  dead,  their  skulls 
fractured  by  the  butts  of  German  rifles. 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION         33 

2nd.  During  the  night  of  August  10th  German  cav- 
alry entered  Velm  in  great  numbers ;  the  inhabitants  were 
asleep.  The  Germans,  without  provocation,  fired  on  Mr. 
Deglimme-Gever's  house,  broke  into  it,  destroyed  furni- 
ture, looted  money,  burned  barns,  hay,  corn  stacks,  farm 
implements,  six  oxen,  and  the  contents  of  the  farmyard. 
They  carried  off  Mme.  Deglimme  half  naked  to  a  place 
two  miles  away.  She  was  then  let  go  and  was  fired  upon 
as  she  fled,  without  being  hit.  Her  husband  was  car- 
ried away  in  another  direction  and  fired  upon ;  he  is  dying. 
The  same  troops  sacked  and  burned  the  house  of  a  rail- 
way watchman. 

3rd.  Farmer  Jef  Dierckx,  of  Neerhespen,  bears  wit- 
ness to  the  following  acts  of  cruelty  committed  by  Ger- 
man cavalry  at  Orsmael  and  Neerhespen  on  August  10th, 
1 1  th  and  1 2th.  An  old  man  of  the  latter  village  had 
his  arm  sliced  in  three  longitudinal  cuts;  he  was  then 
hanged  head  downwards  and  burned  alive.  Young  girls 
have  been  raped  and  little  children  outraged  at  Orsmael, 
where  several  inhabitants  suffered  mutilations  too  horrible 
to  describe.  A  Belgian  soldier  belonging  to  a  battalion  of 
cyclist  carbineers  who  had  been  wounded  and  made  pris- 
oner was  hanged,  while  another  who  was  tending  his  com- 
rade was  bound  to  a  telegraph  pole  on  the  St.  Trond 
road  and  shot. 

4th.  On  Wednesday,  August  12th,  after  an  engage- 
ment at  Haelen,  Commandant  Van  Damme,  so  severely 
wounded  that  he  was  lying  prone  on  his  back,  was  finally 
murdered  by  German  infantrymen  firing  their  revolvers 
into  his  mouth. 

5th.  On  Monday,  August  9th,  at  Orsmael,  the  Ger- 
mans picked  up  Commandant  Knappen,  very  seriously 


34  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

wounded,  propped  him  up  against  a  tree  and  shot  him. 
Finally  they  hacked  his  corpse  with  swords. 

6th.  Numerous  wounded  soldiers,  disarmed  and  un- 
able to  defend  themselves,  have  been  ill-treated  or  killed 
by  certain  German  soldiers.  The  inquiry  brings  out  new 
facts  of  this  kind  each  day. 

7th.  In  different  places,  notably  at  Hollogne  sur  Geer, 
at  Barchon,  at  Pontisse,  at  Haelen,  at  Zelk,  German 
troops  have  fired  on  doctors,  nurses,  ambulances  and 
ambulance  wagons. 

8th.  At  Boncelles  a  body  of  German  troops  went  into 
battle  carrying  a  Belgian  flag. 

9th.  On  Thursday,  August  6th,  before  a  fort  at 
Liege,  German  soldiers  continued  to  fire  on  a  party  of 
Belgian  soldiers,  who  were  unarmed  and  had  been  sur- 
rounded while  digging  a  trench,  after  they  had  hoisted  the 
white  flag. 

loth.  On  Thursday,  August  6th,  at  Vottem,  near 
the  fort  of  Loncin,  a  group  of  German  infantry  hoisted 
the  white  flag.  When  Belgian  soldiers  approached  to  take 
them  prisoners,  the  Germans  suddenly  opened  fire  on 
them  at  close  range. 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  OF  INQUIRY 

II 

THE    MASSACRE    AT    AERSCHOT 

Antwerp,  August  28th,  1914. 

The  Commission  of  Inquiry  on  violation  of  the  Law  of 
Nations  and  the  Laws  and  Customs  of  War,  after  an 
impartial  and  careful  investigation,  can  make  the  follow- 
ing statement  of  its  findings  : 

It  appears  from  precise  and  concurring  testimony  that 
in  the  entire  region  of  Aerschot  the  Germans  have  com- 
mitted veritable  atrocities.  The  majority  of  the  popula- 
tion fled  in  terror.  On  their  passage  the  German  troops 
set  fire  to  farms  and  houses  and  furniture,  shooting  inof- 
fensive citizens  whom  they  found  along  the  road  or  who 
were  working  in  the  fields. 

At  Hersselt,  north  of  Aerschot,  32  houses  of  the  vil- 
lage were  set  on  fire;  the  miller  and  his  son  who  fled, 
and  about  2 1  other  persons,  were  killed,  all  this  while  no 
Belgian  troops  were  visible. 

The  German  troops  penetrated  into  Aerschot,  a  town 
of  8,000  inhabitants,  on  Wednesday,  August  19th,  in 
the  morning.  No  Belgian  forces  remained  behind.  No 
sooner  did  the  Germans  enter  the  town  than  they  began 
setting  fire  to  several  houses,  and,  in  the  rue  du  Marteau, 
they  shot  5  or  6  inhabitants  whom  they  compelled  to  leave 
their  houses.  In  the  evening,  pretending  that  a  superior 
German  officer  had  been  killed  on  the  "Grande  Place"  by 

35 


36  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

the  son  of  the  burgomaster,  or,  according  to  another  ver- 
sion of  the  story,  that  a  conspiracy  had  been  hatched 
against  the  superior  commandant,  by  the  burgomaster  and 
his  family,  the  Germans  took  every  man  who  was  inside 
of  Aerschot;  they  carried  them,  fifty  at  a  time,  some  dis- 
tance from  the  town,  grouped  them  in  lines  of  four  men, 
and,  making  them  run  in  front  of  them,  shot  at  them  and 
killed  them  afterwards  with  their  bayonets.  More  than 
40  men  were  found  thus  massacred. 

They  gave  up  the  town  to  be  pillaged,  taking  from  the 
private  houses  all  they  could  take,  breaking  furniture  and 
forcing  safes.  The  following  day  they  lined  up,  three 
by  three,  the  villagers  whom  they  had  arrested  the  day 
before,  taking  one  man  out  of  each  line.  Those  they  car- 
ried off  at  a  distance  of  100  meters  from  the  town,  taking 
with  them  the  burgomaster  of  the  town,  Mr.  Tielemans, 
and  his  son,  aged  fifteen  and  a  half  years,  and  his  brother, 
and  shot  them. 

Later  on  they  forced  the  remaining  villagers  to  dig 
holes  to  bury  their  victims. 

For  three  whole  days  they  continued  to  pillage  and  set 
fire  to  everything  in  sight. 

About  150  inhabitants  of  Aerschot  are  supposed  to  have 
thus  been  massacred. 

The  largest  part  of  the  city  is  totally  destroyed;  five 
times  the  Germans  tried  to  set  fire  to  the  large  church,  the 
interior  of  which  has  been  sacked.  The  records  of  the 
town  have  been  carried  off. 

The  ambulance  attendants,  although  wearing  the  Red 
Cross  arm  band,  were  not  respected.  One  of  them  re- 
ports that  German  troops  fired  upon  him,  while  he  was 
collecting  the  wounded,  and  that  they  continued  to  fire 
even  though  he  showed  his  Red  Cross  arm  band.    More- 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION         37 

over,  during  the  entire  day  of  the  19th,  while  he  was 
engaged  in  hospital  service,  he  was  threatened  and  ill- 
used.  A  German  officer,  among  others,  took  him  by  the 
head,  thrusting  against  his  forehead  the  butt  of  a  revolver. 
A  wagon  driver,  the  son  of  the  local  tax  collector,  wear- 
ing the  insignia  of  the  Red  Cross,  was  killed  in  the 
Rue  de  I'Hopital,  in  the  evening  of  August  19th,  by 
Germans. 

From  all  the  testimony  taken  it  appears  that  the  civil 
population  of  Aerschot  has  in  nowise  participated  in  the 
hostilities,  that  no  shot  was  fired  by  them,  and  all  the 
witnesses  agree  in  pointing  out  the  improbability  of  the 
German  version,  according  to  which  the  son  of  the  burgo- 
master, a  youth  of  fifteen  and  a  half  years,  and  of  ex- 
tremely gentle  disposition,  is  said  to  have  fired  upon  a  su- 
perior German  officer  during  the  night  of  August  19th. 
Still  more  improbable  is  the  version  of  a  conspiracy 
organized  by  the  burgomaster.  It  is  to  be  remarked  that 
if — a  thing  that  is  not  proved — a  German  officer  was 
shot  on  the  "Grande  Place,"  it  might  have  happened 
by  a  stray  bullet,  German  soldiers  being  engaged  in 
shooting  in  the  neighboring  streets  in  order  to  frighten 
the  populace. 

Moreover,  the  burgomaster,  a  very  quiet  man,  had  re- 
peatedly warned  his  fellow  citizens,  by  means  of  posters 
and  circulars  addressed  to  every  inhabitant  of  the  town, 
that  in  case  of  invasion  they  were  to  abstain  from  any 
hostile  act.  These  posters  were  still  in  evidence  when 
the  Germans  entered  the  city  and  they  were  shown  to 
them. 

The  German  troops  who  were  traversing  localities 
situated  on  this  side  of  Aerschot  indulged  in  the  same 
horrors.     They  fired  upon  fleeing  citizens,  an4  set  fire 


38  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

to  and  sacked  private  houses,  all  this  without  provoca- 
tion. 

At  Rotselaer,  for  instance,  they  set  fire  to  about  15 
houses.  A  German  officer,  addressing  an  inhabitant  whose 
house  was  afire,  wanted  to  make  him  declare,  at  the  point 
of  a  pistol,  that  the  fire  had  been  started  by  the  Belgians. 
When  this  inhabitant  protested,  claiming  that  the  Bel- 
gians had  left  the  town  the  previous  evening,  this 
officer  declared  that  if  the  Germans  had  set  fire  to  the 
town  it  was  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  the  civilians 
had  fired  at  them,  an  accusation  which  also  is  denied  by 
all  the  witnesses. 

There  too  the  German  troops  pillaged  everything  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on  during  their  passage. 

Up  to  the  present  the  Commission  has  been  unable  to 
obtain  the  testimony  of  inhabitants  of  Diest  and  Tirle- 
mont,  which  towns  were  occupied  by  the  Germans  on  the 
18th  and  19th  of  August,  1914,  and  which  are  cut  off 
from  communication. 

However,  an  inhabitant  of  Schaffen,  a  town  near 
Diest,  has  stated  that  the  same  abominations  were 
committed  in  his  locality  and  in  the  adjoining  villages, 
Lummen  and  Molenstede.  The  whole  region  has  been 
laid  waste.  German  troops,  at  an  hour's  distance  from 
Diest,  had  begun  their  work  of  destruction,  all  along 
the  highway  from  Diest  to  Beeringen.  Turning  upon 
Diest,  they  set  fire  to  everything  they  could  lay  hands  on, 
farms,  houses,  furniture.  Arrived  at  the  village  of  Schaf- 
fen, the  Germans  set  fire  to  the  town,  massacring  the  few 
remaining  persons  whom  they  found  in  the  houses  or  in 
the  streets. 

The  witnesses  mention  the  names  and  addresses  of  18 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION         39 

persons  who  are  known  to  him  to  have  been  massacred. 

Among  them  are : 

The  wife  of  Francois  Luyckx,  45  years  old,  and  her 
12-year-old  daughter,  who  were  discovered  in  a  sewer  and 
shot. 

The  daughter  of  Jean  Ouyen,  9  years  old,  who  was 
shot. 

Andre  Willem,  23  years  old,  sexton,  who  was  tied  to  a 
tree  and  burned  alive. 

Joseph  Reynders,  40  years  old,  who  was  killed  together 
with  his  young  nephew,  a  lad  of  10  years. 

Gustave  Lodts,  40  years  old,  and  Jean  Marken,  also 
40  years  old,  probably  buried  alive. 

The  witness  testifies  that  he  himself  proceeded  to  ex- 
hume these  two  and  that  he  buried  them  afterward  in  the 
cemetery. 

The  village  of  Rethy,  near  Turnhout,  was  the  object 
of  devastation  and  shooting  during  the  day  of  the  22nd 
of  August  by  17  cavalrymen  who  had  penetrated  into  the 
village.    A  young  girl  of  15  years  was  shot. 

Still  more  horrible  crimes,  if  that  were  possible,  have 
been  committed  by  the  German  troops,  on  account  of  the 
defeat  they  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  Belgian  army 
before  Malines.  The  city  of  Louvain,  with  its  artistic 
and  scientific  riches  has  not  been  spared.  New  reports 
will  be  submitted  very  shortly. 

(Signed)  Cooreman,  President. 

Ernst  de  Bunswyck, 

Orts, 

Secretaries. 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  OF  INQUIRY 

III 

THE   DESTRUCTION   OF    LOUVAIN 

Antwerp,  August  31st,  1914. 
To  the  Minister  of  Justice : 

Sir: 

The  Commission  of  Inquiry  begs  to  make  the  following 
report  on  the  deeds  of  which  the  city  of  Louvain  and  the 
surrounding  localities  and  the  vicinity  of  Malines  have 
been  the  theater: 

The  German  army  entered  Louvain  on  Wednesday, 
August  19th,  after  having  set  fire  to  the  towns  through 
which  it  had  passed. 

From  the  moment  of  their  entrance  into  the  city  of 
Louvain,  the  Germans  requisitioned  lodgings  and  victuals 
for  their  troops.  They  entered  every  private  bank  of 
the  city  and  took  over  the  bank  funds.  German  soldiers 
broke  the  doors  of  houses  abandoned  by  their  inhabitants, 
pillaged  them  and  indulged  in  orgies. 

The  German  authorities  took  hostages;  the  mayor  of 
the  city,  Senator  Vander  Kelen,  the  Vice  Rector  of  the 
Catholic  University,  the  Dean  of  the  city ;  magistrates  and 
aldermen  were  also  detained.  All  arms,  down  to  fencing 
foils  had  been  handed  over  to  the  town  administration  and 
deposited  by  the  said  authorities  in  the  Church  of  St. 
Peter. 

40 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION        41 

In  a  neighboring  village,  Corbeek-Loo,  a  young  ma- 
tron 22  years  old,  whose  husband  was  in  the  army,  was 
surprised  on  Wednesday,  August  19th,  with  several  of 
her  relatives,  by  a  band  of  German  soldiers.  The  per- 
sons who  accompanied  her  were  locked  in  an  abandoned 
house,  while  she  was  taken  into  another  house,  where  she 
was  successively  violated  by  five  soldiers. 

In  the  same  village,  on  Thursday,  August  2oth,  Ger- 
man soldiers  were  searching  a  house  where  a  young  girl 
of  16  years  lived  with  her  parents.  They  carried  her 
into  an  abandoned  house  and,  while  some  of  them  kept 
the  father  and  mother  off,  others  went  into  the  house, 
the  cellar  of  which  was  open,  and  forced  the  young 
woman  to  drink.  Afterwards  they  carried  her  out  on  the 
lawn  in  front  of  the  house  and  violated  her  successively. 
She  continued  to  resist  and  they  pierced  her  breast  with 
their  bayonets.  Having  been  abandoned  by  the  soldiers 
after  these  abominable  attacks,  the  girl  was  carried  off 
by  her  parents,  and  the  following  day,  owing  to  the 
gravity  of  her  condition,  she  was  administered  the  last 
rites  of  the  church  by  the  priest  of  the  parish  and  car- 
ried to  the  hospital  at  Louvain.  At  that  time  her  life  was 
despaired  of. 

On  August  24th  and  25th  Belgian  troops,  leaving  the 
entrenched  camp  round  Antwerp,  attacked  the  German 
army  which  was  outside  of  Malmes. 

The  German  troops  were  driven  back  as  far  as  Lou- 
vain and  Vilvorde. 

Upon  entering  the  villages  which  had  been  occupied  by 
the  enemy,  the  Belgian  army  found  the  whole  country 
devastated.  The  Germans,  while  retiring,  had  ravaged 
and  set  fire  to  the  villages,  taking  with  them  and  driving 
before  them  all  the  male  inhabitants.  ^ 


42  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Upon  entering  Hofstade,  on  August  25  th,  the  Belgian 
soldiers  found  there  the  corpse  of  an  old  woman  who  had 
been  killed  by  bayonet  thrusts;  she  still  held  in  her  hand 
the  needle  with  which  she  was  sewing  when  she  was-  at- 
tacked; one  mother  and  her  son,  aged  about  15  or  16, 
lay  there,  pierced  with  bayonet  wounds;  one  man  was 
found  hung. 

In  Sempst,  a  neighboring  village,  were  found  the 
corpses  of  two  men  partially  burnt.  One  of  them  was 
found  with  his  legs  cut  off  at  the  knees,  the  other  was 
minus  his  arms  and  legs.  A  workman  (whose  charred 
body  several  witnesses  have  seen)  had  been  pierced  with 
bayonets,  and  afterward,  still  living,  the  Germans  soaked 
him  with  petroleum  and  locked  him  in  a  house  which  they 
set  on  fire.  An  old  man  and  his  son  had  been  killed  by 
saber  cuts;  a  cyclist  had  been  killed  by  bullets;  a  woman 
coming  out  of  her  house  had  been  stricken  down  in  the 
same  manner. 

A  witness,  whose  declaration  has  been  received  by  Mr. 
Edward  Hertslet,  son  of  Sir  Cecil  Hertslet,  Consul  Gen- 
eral of  Great  Britain  in  Antwerp,  declares  that  he  saw, 
not  far  from  Malines,  on  August  26th  (that  is,  during 
the  last  attack  of  the  Belgian  troops),  an  old  man  at- 
tached by  the  arms  to  a  beam  of  a  barn.  The  body  was 
completely  burned,  the  head,  the  arms  and  the  feet  were 
intact.  Further  on  a  body  completely  stabbed  with  bay- 
onet thrusts.  Numerous  corpses  of  peasants  were  found 
in  positions  of  supplication,  arms  lifted  and  hands  folded 
in  prayer.  The  Belgian  Consul  in  Uganda,  who  had  en- 
tered the  Belgian  army  as  a  volunteer,  reports  that  every- 
where where  the  Germans  had  passed  through  the  country 
was  devastated.  The  few  inhabitants  who  remained  in 
the  villages   tell  of  horrors  committed  by   the  enemy. 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION         43 

Thus,  in  Wacherzeel,  seven  Germans  are  said  to  have 
consecutively  violated  a  woman,  afterward  killing  her. 
In  the  same  village  they  undressed  to  the  waist  a  young 
boy,  threatening  him  with  death  by  pointing  a  revolver 
at  his  breast,  piercing  him  with  their  lances,  chasing  him 
then  into  the  open  field,  and  shooting  after  him  without, 
however,  hitting  him. 

Everywhere  there  were  ruin  and  devastation.  At 
Buecken,  numerous  inhabitants,  including  the  priest,  a 
man  more  than  80  years  old,  were  killed. 

Between  Impde  and  Wolverthem,  two  wounded  Bel- 
gian soldiers  were  lying  near  a  house  which  was  burning. 
The  Germans  threw  these  two  unfortunate  men  into  the 
raging  fire. 

The  German  troops,  repulsed  by  our  soldiers,  entered 
Louvain  in  full  panic.  Various  witnesses  assure  us  that 
at  that  moment  the  German  garrison  occupying  Lou- 
vain was  advised  erroneously  that  the  enemy  was  enter- 
ing the  town.  Immediately  the  German  garrison  with- 
drew toward  the  station  where  it  met  with  the  German 
troops  that  had  been  repulsed  by  the  Belgians  who  had 
just  stopped  the  chase.  Everything  seems  to  indicate  that 
a  conflict  took  place  between  two  German  regiments. 
From  that  moment,  under  pretext  that  the  Louvain  civil- 
ians had  fired  upon  them  (a  fact  which  is  contradicted  by 
all  the  witnesses  and  which  would  hardly  have  been  pos- 
sible inasmuch  as  all  the  inhabitants  of  Louvain,  for  sev- 
eral days  past,  had  been  obliged  to  hand  their  arms  over 
to  the  local  authorities),  the  German  soldiers  began  to 
bombard  the  city.  Moreover,  not  one  of  the  witnesses  has 
seen  the  body  of  a  single  civilian  at  the  place  where  the 
affray  happened.  The  bombarding  lasted  until  10  o'clock 
at  night.    Afterward  the  Germans  set  fire  to  the  oity. 


44  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

The  houses  which  had  not  taken  fire  were  entered  by 
German  soldiers,  who  were  throwing  fire  grenades,  some 
of  which  seem  to  have  been  provided  for  the  occasion. 
The  largest  part  of  the  city  of  Louvain,  especially  the 
quarters  of  the  "Ville  Haute"  comprising  the  modern 
houses,  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Peter,  the  University  Halls, 
with  the  whole  library  of  the  University,  its  manuscripts, 
its  collections,  the  largest  part  of  the  scientific  institutions 
and  the  town  theater  were  at  that  moment  being  con- 
sumed by  flames. 

The  Commission  deems  it  necessary,  in  the  midst  of 
these  horrors,  to  insist  on  the  crime  of  lese-humanity 
which  the  deliberate  annihilation  of  an  academic  library 
— a  library  which  was  one  of  the  treasures  of  our  time — 
constitutes. 

Numerous  corpses  of  civilians  covered  the  streets  and 
squares.  On  the  route  from  Louvain  to  Tirlemont  alone 
one  witness  testifies  having  seen  more  than  fifty  of  them. 
On  the  threshold  of  houses  were  found  burnt  corpses  of 
people,  who,  surprised  in  their  cellars  by  the  fire,  had 
tried  to  escape  and  fell  into  the  heap  of  live  embers. 
The  suburbs  of  Louvain  were  given  up  to  the  same  fate. 
It  can  be  said  that  the  whole  region  between  Louvain 
and  Malines  and  most  of  the  suburbs  of  Louvain  have 
been  completely  annihilated. 

A  group  of  75  persons,  among  whom  were  several  nota- 
bles of  the  city,  such  as  Father  Coloboet  and  a  Spanish 
priest,  and  also  an  American  priest,  were  conducted  dur- 
ng  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  August  26th,  to  the  square 
in  front  of  the  station.  The  men  were  brutally  separated 
from  their  wives  and  children,  and,  after  having  received 
the  most  abominable  treatment  and  after  repeated  threats 
of  being  shot,  they  were  driven  in  front  of  the  German 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION         45 

troops  as  far  as  the  village  of  Campenhout.  They  were 
locked  during  the  night  in  the  church.  The  following 
day  at  four  o'clock  a  German  officer  came  to  inform  them 
that  they  might  all  confess  themselves  and  that  they 
would  be  shot  half  an  hour  later.  At  half  past  four 
o'clock  they  were  allowed  to  go  and  shortly  afterward 
they  were  again  arrested  by  a  German  brigade  which 
obliged  them  to  march  in  front  of  them  to  Malines.  An- 
swering a  question  on  the  part  of  one  of  the  prisoners, 
a  German  officer  told  them  that  they  were  going  to  taste 
some  of  the  Belgian  grape-shot  before  Antwerp.  At  last 
they  were  liberated,  on  Thursday  afternoon,  at  the  en- 
trance to  Malines. 

Further  testimony  reveals  that  several  thousand  male 
inhabitants  of  Lou  vain,  who  had  escaped  the  shooting  and 
burning,  were  sent  towards  Germany.  We  do  not  at  this 
writing  know  for  what  purpose. 

The  fire  continued  for  several  days.  An  eye  witness, 
who,  on  August  30th,  left  Louvain,  describes  the  state  of 
the  city  as  follows :  "From  Weert  St.  Georges,"  he  says, 
"I  have  met  nothing  except  burned  villages,  crazed  peas- 
ants, lifting  to  each  comer  their  arms,  as  a  mark  of 
submission.  From  each  house  was  hanging  a  white  flag, 
even  from  those  that  had  been  set  on  fire,  and  rags  of 
them  were  found  hanging  from  the  ruins. 

"At  Weert  St.  Georges,  I  inquired  from  the  inhabitants 
the  cause  of  the  German  reprisals.  They  all  assured 
me  most  absolutely  that  none  of  the  inhabitants  had  fired ; 
that  all  had  been  previously  given  up,  and  that  the  Ger- 
mans had  taken  vengeance  on  the  population  because  a 
Belgian  soldier  of  the  gendarme  corps  had  killed  a 
Uhlan. 

"The  population   which   remained   in   Louvain   took 


46  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

refuge  in  the  suburb  of  Heverle,  where  they  are  all  herded 
together,  the  population  having  been  driven  from  the  town 
by  the  troops  and  by  the  fire. 

"The  fire  began  a  little  above  the  American  College,  and 
the  city  is  entirely  destroyed,  with  the  exception  of  the 
town  hall  (Hotel  de  Ville)  and  the  depot.  To-day  the 
fire  continued,  and  the  Germans — far  from  trying  to  stop 
it — seem  rather  to  maintain  it  by  throwing  straw  into  the 
fire,  as  I  have  myself  seen  in  the  street  behind  the  Hotel 
de  Ville.  The  Cathedral  and  the  theater  have  been  de- 
stroyed and  fallen  in,  and  also  the  library.  The  town 
resembles  an  old  city  in  ruins,  in  the  midst  of  which 
drunken  soldiers  are  circulating,  carrying  around  bottles 
of  wine  and  liquor;  the  officers  themselves  being  installed 
in  arm  chairs,  sitting  around  tables  and  drinking  like  their 
own  men. 

"In  the  streets  dead  horses  are  decaying,  horses  which 
are  already  completely  inflated,  and  the  smell  of  the  fire 
and  of  the  decaying  animals  is  such  that  it  has  followed 
me  for  a  long  time." 

The  Commission,  up  to  this  writing,  has  been  unable 
to  obtain  any  information  regarding  the  fate  of  the  burgo- 
master of  Louvain,  nor  regarding  the  prominent  persons 
taken  for  hostages. 

By  facts  which  have  thus  far  been  brought  to  its  atten- 
tion the  Commission  reaches  the  following  conclusions : 

In  this  war,  the  occupation  is  followed  systematically, 
and  is  at  times  even  preceded  and  accompanied,  by  acts  of 
violence  against  the  civil  population,  which  violations  are 
contrary  both  to  the  conventional  laws  of  war  and  to  the 
most  elementary  principles  of  humanity. 

The  procedure  of  the  Germans  is  everywhere  the  same. 


FINDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION         47 

They  advance  along  the  roads,  shooting  inoffensive  pas- 
sersby,  particularly  cyclists,  and  even  peasants  occupied 
in  the  fields  which  the  Germans  traverse. 

In  the  places  where  they  stop  the  Germans  first  of 
all  requisition  victuals  and  drinks  which  they  consume 
to  the  point  of  drunkenness;  then  they  begin  shooting 
wildly,  sometimes  from  the  interior  of  empty  houses, 
declaring  that  the  inhabitants  have  fired  the  shots. 
It  is  then  that  the  firing  scenes  begin,  and  murder  and 
especially  pillage  accompanied  by  acts  of  cold  cruelty 
set  in,  acts  which  respect  neither  sex  nor  age.  Even 
when  they  claim  to  know  the  perpetrator  of  the  deed 
which  they  allege,  they  do  not  content  themselves  with 
executing  the  culprit  summarily,  but  take  advantage  of 
the  occasion  to  decimate  the  population,  to  pillage  all  the 
habitations  and  to  set  fire  to  them. 

After  a  first  massacre,  somewhat  at  random,  they  shut 
the  men  into  the  church  of  the  town  and  order  all  the 
women  to  go  back  to  the  houses  and  leave  the  door  open 
during  the  night. 

In  several  localities  the  civil  population  has  been  sent 
to  Germany,  to  be  compelled  there,  it  appears,  to  labor 
in  the  fields,  as  was  done  in  the  slave  days  of  olden 
times.  Numerous  cases  are  known  where  the  inhabitants 
were  forced  to  serve  as  guides  and  to  make  trenches  for 
the  Germans.  Numerous  witnesses  testify  that  in  their 
march,  and  even  in  their  attacks,  the  Germans  put  before 
them  civilians,  men  and  women,  in  order  to  prevent  our 
soldiers  from  firing.  Other  depositions  prove  that  Ger- 
man detachments  do  not  hesitate  to  fly  either  a  white 
flag  or  the  Red  Cross  flag,  so  as  to  approach  our  troops 
without  suspicion.  On  the  other  hand  they  fire  on  our 
ambulances  and  ill-treat  our  ambulance  nurses.     They 


48  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

ill-treat  and  even  kill  our  wounded.  Clergymen  seem 
to  be  particularly  the  object  of  their  attacks.  Last,  but 
not  least,  we  have  in  our  possession  explosive  bullets  left 
behind  by  the  enemy  at  Wechter,  and  we  are  also  in 
receipt  of  medical  certificates  testifying  that  the  wounds 
must  have  been  inflicted  by  bullets  of  the  kind  men- 
tioned above. 

Documents  and  testimonials  in  support  of  these  facts 
will  be  published. 

(Signed)   Cooreman,  President. 
(Signed)  Count  Goblet  d'Alviella. 

(Signed)   Ernst  de  Bunswyck, 
(Signed)   Orts, 

Secretaries. 


VI 

PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  OF 
INQUIRY 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  OF 
INQUIRY 

MEETING    OF   AUGUST    24TH,    1914 
Pillage  of  Aerschot 

Present — Messrs.  Cooreman,  President;  Count  Goblet 
d'Alviella,  Ryckmans,  Strauss,  Van  Cutsem,  members; 
Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck  and  Orts,  secretaries.  The 
chair  is  taken  at  9:30  a.  m. 

Declaration  Made  by  Mrs.  Michiels 

Cecile  Corens,  married  to  Michiels  is  heard.  She 
confirms  the  hereto-attached  declaration. 

(Signed)  Cooreman, 

President. 
(Signed)  Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck, 

Secretary. 
Mrs.  Michiels: 

Supplement  to  her  written  declaration. 

August  24th,  1914. 

"My  husband  was  not  questioned.  He  had  served  until 
9  o'clock  the  evening  before  and  had  not  come  in  contact 
with  any  Germans.  The  declaration  written  in  Flemish 
was  made  by  me  to  a  foreman  of  the  station,  who  had 
been  delegated  by  the  Minister.  Four  other  men  were 
shot  at  the  same  time  as  my  husband  (see  declaration  of 
police  constable). 

"Nobody  fired  on  the  Germans.  The  mayor  had  sev- 
eral times  distributed  notices  warning  the  population  not 

51 


52  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

to  shoot  at  the  Germans,     The  mayor's  son  wished  to 
serve,  but  he  was  too  young." 

The  declaration  made  by  Cecile  Corens,  married  to 
Louis  Gustave  Michiels  (head  guard  of  Aerschot's  sta- 
tion), has  been  taken  down  by  Mr.  Van  Damme,  station 
master  at  Antwerp  (Central  station): 

"Last  Wednesday,  19th  August,  1914,  my  husband 
was  on  sentinel  duty  in  the  Aerschot  station. 

"Toward  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  called  at 
the  station  to  know  whether  he  had  to  leave  or  not,  but 
he  was  no  longer  needed,  as  the  train  service  was  sus- 
pended. He  then  returned  home,  and  as  so  many  of  the 
balls  shot  by  the  German  troops  fell  into  our  house,  we 
took  refuge  in  our  cellar.  Shortly  afterward,  about  500 
to  600  German  soldiers  came  and  forced  open  our  door, 
and  searched  everywhere  in  order  to  see  that  there  were 
no  weapons  in  the  house.  They  then  came  into  the  cellar 
and  dragged  my  husband  and  myself  out.  They  forced  me 
and  my  7-months-old  child  to  precede  them  by  200  meters. 
We  then  had  to  stop  in  front  of  a  locked  house  and  we 
were  forbidden  to  say  anything  further  to  each  other. 
Whenever  I  wanted  to  speak  to  my  husband,  five  of  the 
Germans  shouted  'Houd  SmoeP  ('Shut  up'). 

"A  soldier  of  a  higher  grade,  probably  an  officer,  or- 
dered me  to  stand  behind  the  house  with  my  child  and 
after  sending  my  husband  into  a  field,  they  shot  him  dead. 
They  afterward  came  to  me  and  held  me  and  pointing  at 
me  with  a  revolver,  made  me  show  them  where  the  sluice- 
keeper  lived.  I  did  so  and  then  they  sent  me  home.  After 
the  German  soldiers  left  me  I  looked  for  my  husband, 
and  ascertained  that  he  had  been  stabbed  by  a  bayonet  in 
the  hip  and  had  been  shot  through  the  head.  He  was 
already  stiff,  and,  of  course,  dead.  I  took  his  watch  and 
purse  as  well  as  his  wedding  ring,  and  then  returned  home. 
I  remained  there  until  Thursday  morning,  and  then  the 
Germans  returned  and  turned  me  out  of  my  house,  which 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION     53 

they  burned  down.  I  fled  to  Lierre  with  two  pieces  of 
bread  and  butter  and  my  child  and  then  pushed  on  to 
Antwerp  where  I  am  staying  with  my  brother,  Alfons 
Corens,  9  Michiel  Kaai.  My  brother  is  employed  as 
craneman  by  the  City  of  Antwerp. 

"The  police  constable  Janssens  fled  with  me  from 
Aerschot  to  Antwerp,  but  I  do  not  know  where  he  is 
now. 

"The  persons  behind  whose  house  I  had  to  stand  visited 
my  husband's  body  with  me,  but  I  do  not  know  where 
they  have  fled.  The  tenant's  name  is  Dominien  Mielens. 
He  is  a  dealer  in  hogs  at  Aerschot." 

Made  out  in  Antwerp,  August  22nd,   1914. 

(Signed)  Cecile  Corens. 


AFFIDAVIT    OF   COMMANDANT   GILSON 

Commander  Georges  Gilson,  of  the  9th  Regiment  of 
Infantry,  who  was  to  cover  the  retreat  of  the  Belgian 
troops  from  Aerschot,  declares  that  on  Wednesday, 
August  19th,  1914,  during  the  fight  which  took  place  be- 
tween 6  and  8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  while  defend- 
ing the  entrance  of  Aerschot,  he  noticed  between  the  Ger- 
man lines  and  the  Belgian  troops,  walking  along  the 
street,  four  women,  each  bearing  a  child  on  her  arms ;  with 
them  were  two  little  girls.  The  Belgian  troops  stopped 
firing  to  avoid  killing.  The  Germans  continued  to 
fire.  One  of  the  women  had  a  wounded  arm.  These 
women  were  not  allowed  to  cross  the  German  lines  and 
walk  along  the  road  except  with  the  permission  of  the 
Germans.  Everything  seems  to  indicate  that  they  were 
pushed  ahead  of  the  German  troops  to  prevent  the  Belgian 
troops  from  firing  upon  them  just  when  the  Germans  were 
about  to  assault  them. 

The  present  declaration  has  been  made  in  the  presence 
of  Chev.   Ernst  de   Bunswyck,   Chief  Secretarv  of  the 


54  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Minister  of  Justice,  and  Baron  de  Cartier  de  Marchienne, 
Belgian  Minister  in  Peking. 
Antwerp,  August  22nd,  1914. 

The  Commander: 
(Signed)  G.  Gilson. 
(Signed)  Ant.  Ernst, 
(Signed)   E.  de  Cartier. 


MEETING    OF   AUGUST    25TH,    1914 

Present:  Messrs.  Cooreman,  Count  Goblet  d'Alviella, 
Strauss,  Van  Cutsem,  Ryckmans,  members;  Messrs.  Ernst 
de  Bunswyck  and  Orts,  secretaries. 

Session  opens  at  9  o'clock. 

Mr.  Ryckmans  reports  that  the  visit  which  he  and  Mr. 
Van  Cutsem  paid  at  the  hospital  did  not  lead  to  the  dis- 
covery that  the  treatment  accorded  by  the  Germans  to 
the  prisoners  constitute  characteristic  violations  of  the 
laws  of  warfare. 

Rev.  Mr.  Louis  Van  Roey,  Vicar  of  Aerschot: 

"The  battle  which  took  place  on  Wednesday,  August 
19th,  lasted  from  7  till  9:30  o'clock.  It  was  announced 
that  the  town  had  capitulated.  We  went  to  administer 
the  last  sacraments  to  the  dying.  The  whole  town  was 
quiet.  The  alarm  was  given  at  7  o'clock,  and  it  was  an- 
nounced that  all  the  leading  men  were  to  be  killed  and 
the  town  burnt,  because  a  German  colonel  had  been  killed. 
The  mayor  was  shot  on  Thursday,  August  20th.  It  is 
said  that  the  colonel  was  wounded  on  the  'Grande  Place' 
after  having  dined  with  the  burgomaster  toward  half-past 
six  o'clock.  The  burgomaster  had  been  warning' the  in- 
habitants daily  not  to  commit  any  hostile  acts  against  the 
Germans. 

At  Hersselt  they  locked  all  the  men  in  a  church 
and  I  know  that  it  was  only  through  flight  that  a  woman 
escaped  violation.    My  own  servant,  who  resisted  against 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION     55 

a  similar  outrage,  was  drowned.  At  Hersselt,  a  German 
soldier  first  shot  in  the  air  and  then  pretended  that  the 
inhabitants  had  fired." 

(Signed)  Rev.  L.  Van  Roey. 
(N.  B. — See  Meeting  of  August  27th.) 

Mr.  De  Preter,  Clerk  to  the  Justice  of  the  Peace: 

Gentlemen : 

"Here  are  the  deeds  which  took  place  at  Aerschot  on  the 
19th  and  20th  of  August,  1914,  and  of  which  I  was  an 
eye-witness : 

"Wednesday  morning,  of  August  19th,  toward  6 
o'clock,  we  heard  cannon  shots  from  the  direction  of 
Hersselt- Westerloo.  Shortly  afterward  we  saw  fugitive 
Belgian  soldiers,  followed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Schaluin. 
The  German  army  entered  our  town  toward  half  past 
eight.  The  soldiers  came  on  in  advance  and  ordered  doors 
and  windows  to  be  locked.  Seven  or  eight  soldiers  went 
to  the  church  to  take  down  the  flag  from  the  steeple.  As 
they  could  not  find  the  sexton  who  had  the  keys,  they 
broke  the  door  open  and  tore  down  the  flag.  The  town 
was  then  fired  upon.  In  the  meantime  the  army  ad- 
vanced. The  Germans  filed  past  the  whole  day  and  part 
of  the  night.  The  soldiers  in  our  neighborhood  then  told 
us  that  we  might  return  home  and  that  they  would  not 
shoot  any  more;  we  then  gave  them  food  and  drink,  and 
also  rhine  wine  which  they  eagerly  accepted. 

"Toward  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  machine  guns 
were  placed  by  the  Germans  at  the  corner  of  the  station 
street,  and  on  the  Demer  bridge,  and  they  began  firing 
on  the  town.  They  also  directed  two  cannon  shots  at  the 
church  door.  They  also  tried  to  set  fire  to  the  church, 
but  did  not  succeed.  During  the  shooting  I  took  refuge 
in  my  cellar.  When  the  shooting  stopped,  7  or  8  soldiers 
came  into  my  house  with  fixed  bayonets,  and  said  that  I 
had  shot.     My  wife  who,  in  the  meantime,  had  gone  up- 


56  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

stairs,  was  slapped  in  the  face  twice  and  then  driven  out 
of  the  house  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

"I  was  then  taken  prisoner  and  driven,  together  with 
the  servant,  to  the  Old  Men's  Institute.  When  we  arrived 
there  we  saw  the  old  men,  women  and  nuns  (including 
an  old  person  of  80)  all  standing  in  a  row  with  their 
hands  up.  After  having  stood  there  for  about  two  hours, 
the  men  were  driven  forward  along  Station  street,  Langen- 
steenweg  and  Leuwensche  street,  to  reach  at  last  the  camp 
which  they  had  fixed  up  beyond  the  'Atelier.' 

"We  encountered  many  fires  on  the  way,  including  the 
house  of  the  justice  of  the  peace,  which  was  ablaze. 
We  were  made  to  halt  before  burning  houses  and  were 
compelled  to  contemplate  this  sad  sight.  When  we 
reached  the  camp,  our  hands  were  tied  behind  our  backs 
and  we  were  driven  into  a  potato  field  where  we  had  to 
pass  the  night.     There  were  about  50  of  us. 

"At  dawn,  the  mayor  who,  together  with  his  son  and 
brother,  was  also  bound,  was  questioned.  The  officer 
seemed  to  listen  willingly  to  the  testimony  of  the  mayor 
and  then  went  away.  Half  an  hour  afterward  another 
officer  came  along,  who  called  out:  'The  mayor,  his 
brother  and  his  son  must  be  shot  through  the  head.'  We 
were  then  placed  on  rows  of  three.  One  victim  out  of 
each  row  was  chosen  to  be  shot.  We  were  then  ordered 
to  turn  our  backs  toward  these  unhappy  people  and  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later  we  heard  several  shots  fired. 
Vengeance  was  carried  out. 

"Here  are  the  names  of  a  few  of  the  victims: 

"Joseph,  Louis  and  Emile  Tielemans,  Prosper  Mertens, 
Omer  Nys,  Bruno  Tuerlinckx,  Victor  Page. 

"As  we  were  on  the  point  of  going  home  an  officer 
came  along  and  in  a  loud  voice  told  us  that  if  one  more 
shot  were  fired  the  whole  town  would  be  destroyed.  As 
we  turned  away,  another  band  of  citizens  were  brought 
to  the  camp,  as  prisoners.  I  cannot  say  what  became 
of  these  unfortunate  people. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    57 

"We  were  hardly  home  for  a  few  minutes  when  we 
were  told  that  the  town  was  to  be  bombarded.  I  asked 
the  soldiers  to  be  allowed  to  leave  town,  to  which  they 
agreed.  On  the  Schaluin  almost  every  house  was  ablaze 
and  the  soldiers  were  busy  plundering.  They  were  cart- 
ing away  wine,  chickens  and  vegetables. 

"It  is  the  140th  Regiment  which  treated  us  so  cruelly. 
Every  house  of  the  hamlet  of  Aurodenberg  was,  without 
exception,  burned  down." 

(Signed)  De  Preter. 

Mr.  Constant  Hubert  Van  Hagendoren,  Station  Mas- 
ter at  Aerschot,  has  nothing  to  say  about  the  ill-deeds 
committed  by  the  Germans  at  Aerschot.  Toward  6 
o'clock  on  Wednesday  morning  he  heard  shooting.  A 
train  packed  with  fugitives  left  toward  7  o'clock.  Later 
a  few  Belgian  soldiers  passed.  The  commanding  officer 
asked  him  the  way  toward  the  Chaussee  de  Louvain.  He 
left,  and,  says  Mr.  Van  Hagendoren,  "we  then  withdrew 
and,  according  to  instructions,  took  the  cash  along  with 
us.  We  left  at  7:20  in  the  direction  of  Louvain.  At 
Rotselaer  we  got  out  and  walked  toward  Haecht,  from 
whence  we  went  to  Malines  and  then  to  Antwerp." 

Mr.  Jules  Janssens,  Chief  Police  Constable  at  Aer- 
schot; 

"The  Germans  came  into  my  street  toward  8  o*clock 
in  the  morning.  They  broke  in  doors  and  windows. 
Some  neighbors  opened  their  doors,  the  Germans  went 
through  the  houses  without  doing  any  harm.  A  herald 
then  passed,  proclaiming  that  doors  and  windows  were  to 
be  left  open  and  ordered  the  men  to  come  outside.  The 
men  were  taken  away.  Then  I  heard  shots ;  they  had  shot 
6  persons.  I  locked  myself  into  my  cellar.  I  was  called  to 
go  to  the  mayor  at  half  past  seven.  The  Germans  were 
asking  for  food.  Toward  9  o'clock,  two  officers,  includ- 
ing one  commanding  officer,  stated  that  the  civilians  had 


58  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

shot.  I  protested.  They  told  us  that  in  any  case  they 
would  keep  us  as  hostages.  I  told  them  that  it  was  unfor- 
tunate, as  the  mayor  had  advised  all  to  be  calm,  and  pos- 
ters to  that  effect  had  been  placed  everywhere.  I  led 
them  to  the  spot  where  one  of  these  notices,  signed  by  the 
mayor,  was  posted.  They  told  the  same  thing  to  the 
mayor  as  they  told  me.  I  fled  and  hid  myself  in  a  cellar. 
Shooting  was  heard  toward  7.30.  They  were  still  shout- 
ing 'er  Uit'  ('Come  out  of  there').  We  did  not  come  out. 
At  that  moment  they  entered  our  house  and  made  us  come 
upstairs,  stating  that  we  had  shot.  I  had  to  accompany 
the  soldiers  through  the  house,  which  they  inspected.  As 
nothing  was  found,  they  did  nothing  to  the  house  and  did 
not  commit  any  violence. 

"We  were  not  troubled  during  the  remainder  of  the 
night.  Toward  7  o'clock  the  following  morning  they  told 
us  that  we  might  go  out.  We  walked  toward  the  Rue 
Neuve.  There  we  were  told  that  only  women  and  chil- 
dren might  pass.  We  returned  to  our  cellar.  Toward 
9  o'clock  the  Germans  returned;  they  made  us  undergo  a 
corporal  examination.  Then  we  were  ordered  out  of 
town.  About  80  from  that  street  left  without  being  mo- 
lested. 

"I  do  not  know  of  any  inhabitants  having  fired.  Sol- 
diers defended  the  outskirts.  I  know  nothing  about  the 
death  of  a  German  officer.  I  only  heard  about  that  in 
Antwerp.  It  was  at  the  moment  that  we  fled  that  I  heard 
from  some  refugees  that  the  mayor  was  dead." 

(Signed)  Janssens. 

Mr.  Ernest  Percy,  sub-station-master  at  Aerschot, 

knows  nothing  of  what  happened  at  Aerschot.  The 
testimony  of  the  chief  is  confirmed.  He  was  told  that  his 
sister  had  been  burned  alive  in  her  house  while  hiding  in 
the  cellar  with  her  husband  and  child.  The  husband 
and  child  were  injured.  The  husband  is  in  the  Aerschot 
hospital,  and  the  child  in  the  Antwerp  hospital.  The 
woman,  who  had  fainted,  remained  in  the  burning  house. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    59 

He  was  told  that  the  civilian  population  had  not  fired 
at  the  Germans.  The  latter  fired  upon  themselves.  Their 
pretexts  are  false. 

Mr.  Frangois  There,  Postmaster  at  Aerschot: 

"The  last  train  left  Aerschot  on  the  19th  instant 
toward  7  o'clock.  I  then  returned  home.  The  Ger- 
mans then  came  and  ordered  us  out  of  the  houses.  They 
drove  us  in  the  direction  of  the  Demer  Bridge.  They 
called  us  'Schweinevolk'  and  'Schweinehunde'  (pigs). 
They  forced  us  to  remain  on  the  bridge.  The  mayor  met 
them  and  informed  them  who  he  was.  The  officer  or- 
dered him  to  stand  next  to  me,  threatening  to  shoot  him. 
They  ordered  the  women  to  return  home.  Then,  when 
there  was  a  large  enough  crowd  of  us,  300  to  400,  they 
led  us  to  the  Chaussee  de  Diest.  We  remained  there  until 
1  o'clock.  The  mayor  then  told  us  that  we  might  return 
home,  subject  to  depositing  our  arms,  if  we  had  any,  and 
not  going  out  in  groups.  I  returned  home.  Nothing  was 
found  on  me  and  they  left  me  alone. 

"Toward  7  o'clock  we  heard  shots.  We  then  hid  our- 
selves in  the  cellar  where  the  police  constable  joined  us. 
At  a  certain  moment  they  rang  the  bell.  I  left  my  cellar 
with  two  of  my  daughters.  The  Germans  claimed  that 
shots  had  been  fired.  I  said  this  was  not  so.  Everybody 
left  the  cellar.  We  all  went  up  to  the  second  story.  A 
soldier  warned  us  to  run  away,  saying  that  the  town  was 
to  be  reduced  to  ashes.  After  having  searched  everywhere 
and  found  nothing  they  left.  We  remained  in  the  house. 
In  the  course  of  the  night,  we  heard  shooting  several 
times. 

"On  Thursday  morning  toward  6  o'clock  the  neighbors 
warned  us  that  the  officers  had  advised  them  to  flee 
toward  Niewrode.  We  followed  that  road.  The  Chem- 
ist, Mr.  Leotard,  warned  us  not  to  leave,  because,  he  said, 
the  men  were  kept  back.  Notwithstanding  this,  the 
women  went  on.  We  met  people  who  were  returning  and 
who  informed  us  of  the  death  of  the  mayor.  .  In  order 


6o  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

to  justify  these  deeds  the  Germans  pretended  that  civilians 
had  fired  on  them,  but  this  is  merely  a  pretext;  I  can 
swear  that  the  mayor's  son  did  not  fire  at  the  German 
officer.  He  is  gentleness  itself.  Besides,  I  cannot  say 
whether  it  is  true  that  a  German  officer  has  been  shot." 

(Signed)  F.  There. 

Mr.  Remi  Terweduere,  head  of  the  Aerschot  Registry 
Office,  had  promised  the  mayor  to  remain  at  his  post.  He 
was  on  the  Town  Hall  steps  just  as  the  Germans  entered. 
"The  Germans  told  the  mayor  that  three  shots  had  been 
fired  by  civilians.  I  had  to  have  all  the  doors  and  win- 
dows opened;  the  Germans  entered  everywhere,  ransack- 
ing whatever  they  came  across. 

"I  also  saw  German  soldiers  on  the  roofs;  they  dis- 
placed a  few  slates  here  and  there  in  order  to  allow  the 
fire  to  get  a  better  hold." 

(Signed)  Terweduere. 

Captain  Jules  Bruyere,  of  the  9th  Infantry  Regiment, 
had  a  temporary  mission  to  fulfill  at  Charleroi.  He  met 
some  Belgian  refugees  who  came  from  Ramillies.  This 
was  during  the  night  of  the  2oth  to  the  21st.  They  were 
women  carrying  children.  They  told  me  that  they  had 
been  separated  from  their  husbands  at  Ramillies.  The 
women  .were  herded  together  in  the  Public  Square.  The 
Germans  selected  the  young  girls  and  young  women,  who 
were  completely  undressed  and  most  of  them  violated  by 
the  soldiers.  Some  officers  were  present.  The  old  women 
were  released.  Other  deeds  do  not  appear  to  be  known. 
It  does  not  appear  as  if  the  civil  population  were  hostile. 

(Signed)   Captain  Bruyere. 

Alphonse  De  Clercq,  shopkeeper  at  Aerschot,  deposes 
that  as  soon  as  the  Germans  arrived  on  Wednesday  they 
pillaged  his  hosiery  shop.  Next  door  they  broke  the 
windows  of  a  confectioner  and  pillaged  his  shop  also. 

(Signed)  A.  De  Clercq. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    61 

In  the  presence  of  Mr.  Cooreman,  President,  and  An- 
toine  Ernst  de  Bunswyck,  Secretary,  the  following  testi- 
mony was  received. 


SUPPLEMENTARY    REPORT, 
AUGUST    25TH,    1914 

Mr.  Andre  Douwen,  56  years  old,  liquor  dealer  in 
Aerschot: 

"On  Wednesday,  August  19th,  the  Germans  made  their 
entrance  in  Aerschot  toward  10  o'clock.  They  requisi- 
tioned 5  men  in  the  Rue  du  Marteau,  who  were  to  show 
them  the  way,  and  then,  5  minutes  from  their  homes,  they 
shot  them.  The  German  soldiers  claim  that  the  civilians 
had  fired  at  them,  but  this  is  absolutely  false.  Besides, 
the  mayor  had  several  times  warned  the  inhabitants  that 
they  were  to  abstain  from  committing  hostile  deeds;  he 
had  even  requested  the  major  of  the  civic  guard  of  Ver- 
viers,  who  was  just  then  in  Aerschot,  not  to  shoot.  The 
civic  guard  of  Verviers  consequently  withdrew. 

"In  the  course  of  the  evening  the  Germans  smashed 
with  hatchets  the  door  of  every  house  which  had  been 
abandoned  by  their  owners,  and  these  houses  were  pil- 
laged. 

"As  I  did  not  leave  my  house  I  was  not  present  at  the 
scenes  which  are  said  to  have  taken  place  at  the 
'Grande  Place.'    I  did  not  see  the  mayor  arrested. 

"On  Thursday  morning  soldiers  came  to  my  house. 
I  accompanied  them.  I  was  led  a  prisoner  to  the  field, 
where  I  remained  for  hours;  then  I  was  led  to  a  stable 
where  I  remained  another  hour.  There  I  met  Mr. 
Pletinea,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  who  had  already  been 
locked  up.  Afterward  I  was  taken  to  a  field  where  I  had 
to  help  burying  the  dead.  These  were  the  civilians  who 
had  been  shot  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  including  the 
mayor,  Mr.  Tillemans,  his  brother  Emile  and  his  son, 
aged  15  and  a  half  years,  and  about  a  dozen  more  people. 


62  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

"We  were  then  forced  to  dig  a  big  hole  in  which  other 
corpses  were  to  be  buried. 

"At  7  o'clock  I  was  liberated  together  with  four  or  five 
aged  persons,  whereas  the  others  had  to  remain  there  until 
noon  the  following  day;  they  were  still  compelled  to 
dig  holes  in  the  ground  in  which  were  to  be  buried  the 
civilians  (more  than  150)  who  had  been  shot. 

"Since  then,  men  are  daily  locked  up  in  the  church, 
and  are  sometimes  kept  there  for  two  and  even  three 
days."  Mr.  Douwen  left  Aerschot  this  morning  toward 
6  o'clock  with  a  German  pass  which  was  granted  to  him 
by  the  "German  mayor  of  Aerschot."  (The  Major  of  the 
third  battery  of  the  24th  Infantry  Regiment.)  He  had 
received  it  on  pretext  that  he  had  to  go  for  his  wife  at 
Heyst-op-den-Berg. 

Gerriian  troops  passed  through  Aerschot  uninterrupt- 
edly for  two  or  three  days  and  two  nights,  and  since  then 
more  troops  pass  through  daily.  Mr.  Douwen  does  not 
know  what  led  the  Germans  to  these  deeds,  but  he  is 
sure  that  the  Aerschot  people  did  not  shoot.  He  is  also 
convinced  that  Mr.  Tillemans'  son  did  not  fire  any  shot. 
He  is  unable  to  say  whether  the  German  troops  outraged 
women  and  girls. 

They  stole  his  horse,  carriage,  motorcycle,  bicycle,  wear- 
ing apparel,  all  the  liquors  and  wines  with  which  his  shop 
was  stocked,  all  his  merchandise.  They  smashed  his  safe. 
Half  of  the  town  is  burned.  No  fires  have  occurred  since 
the  day  before  yesterday. 

(Signed)  Douwen. 

Annex  to  the  above  report: 

Hersselt,  August  21st,  1914. 
To  His  Honor  the  Governor  of  the  Province  of  Antwerp. 

Sir:— 

I  have  the  honor  to  bring  to  your  notice  that  last  Tues- 
day, toward  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  few  German 
soldiers  arrived  here.     A  few  minutes  later  they  came 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    63 

along  with  numerous  forces,  passing  through  the  Diest- 
Averbode-Westerloo-Herenthals-Zoerle-Parwys  and  Toes- 
telt-Wolfsdonck  highways.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to 
say  just  how  many  soldiers  passed;  perhaps  from  4,000  to 
5,000,  and  they  quartered  here.  Twenty-three  civilians 
belonging  to  our  village  were  shot;  one  woman  was  so 
frightened  that  she  threw  herself  into  a  well  and  was 
drowned.  Thirt3^-two  houses  (almost  all  farm  houses) 
were  destroyed  by  fire.  In  some  villages  the  Ger- 
mans loosened  the  cattle  and  drove  them  away.  There 
hardly  remains  one  house  in  the  village  which  has  not 
been  plundered.  The  German  troops  passed  through  con- 
tinually during  the  whole  of  Wednesday  and  Thursday. 

(Signed)  F.  Verlinden, 

Mayor  of  Hersselt. 

P.  S.  We  do  not  receive  any  letters  here,  nor  can  we 
send  any  mail,  as  the  mailcart  has  been  smashed  to  pieces 
and  there  are  no  mail  carriers  at  present. 


MEETING    OF   AUGUST    26th,    1914 

Present :  Messrs.  Cooreman,  Count  Goblet  d'Alviella, 
Strauss,  Ryckmans,  Van  Cutsem,  members;  Chevalier 
Ernst  de  Bunswyck  and  Orts,  secretaries. 

The  chair  is  taken  at  9  o'clock. 

Miss  Anna  Verelst,  born  at  Aerschot  on  the  15th  of 
January,  1891: 

"I  did  not  undergo  any  hardships.  The  women  do  not 
appear  to  have  suffered.  I  left  Aerschot  at  10  o'clock  on 
Thursday  morning.  A  German  soldier  told  me  that  they 
had  found  a  German  officer  killed  at  the  Mayor's  house. 
The  Germans  declared  that  the  shooting  and  the  reprisals 
were  the  result  of  the  townspeople  having  shot.  I  do  not 
believe  that  a  single  inhabitant  fired  a  shot.     A  [jerman 


64  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUIVI 

soldier  told  me  that  they  were  not  allowed  to  touch  the 
women." 

After  the  reading  of  the  above,  Miss  Verelst  declares 
that  she  has  nothing  to  add  and  signs : 

(Signed)  Anna  Verelst. 

Mr.  Joseph  Rymen,  of  Schaif en-lez-Diest,  hands  in  the 
following  manuscript  declaration,  which  he  confirms : 

"I  cannot  refrain  from  communicating  to  you  all  that 
happened  to  me  while  the  Germans  occupied  Diest  last 
Tuesday,  i8th  August;  I  live  in  Schaif  en  and  my  occu- 
pations require  my  presence  in  Antwerp  almost  daily.  I 
wanted  to  leave  as  usual,  when  a  few  Uhlans  were  re- 
ported as  being  in  the  neighborhood.  They  had  already 
been  seen  several  times  in  the  course  of  the  last  few  days, 
so  that  not  much  notice  was  taken  of  this.  Shortly  after- 
ward these  Uhlans  had  an  encounter  with  the  carabiniers, 
of  whom  only  a  few  circulated  in  the  town,  their  duty 
being  to  guard  the  high  roads  and  to  discover  the  sixteen 
Uhlans  who  had  several  times  been  seen  at  Schaifen. 
Four  or  five  of  these  Uhlans  were  killed  and  as  many 
wounded  in  the  hamlet  of  Schoonaerde.  The  other 
Uhlans  fled,  and  we  thought  that,  just  as  before,  we  were 
freed  from  them.  Alas !  Half  an  hour  later,  thousands 
of  Germans  came.  A  great  many  inhabitants  had  already 
left  the  place  the  previous  day,  after  hearing  of  the  hor- 
rors committed  at  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Haelen  a  few 
days  before,  and  in  other  communities.  The  people 
did  not  know  what  to  do.  It  was  too  late  to  run  away. 
I  wanted  to  hide  quickly  a  few  souvenirs  which  were  dear 
to  me,  in  the  garden,  when  the  Uhlans  were  upon  me,  and 
cried:  'Mains  en  Pair  et  tranquille'  (Hands  up  and 
keep  quiet).  I  immediately  obeyed.  These  Uhlans  then 
took  me  prisoner  before  all  my  people.  They  then  imme- 
diately shot  dead  Alfons  Wouters,  39  years  of  age,  who 
was  running  away  with  his  80-year-old  mother.  I  was 
forced  to  follow  them  and  heard  that  other  people 
were  shot  while  the  remainder  tried  to  take  to  flight. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    65 

They  dragged  me  across  the  village  and  set  ablaze 
all  the  houses  they  found  on  the  road.  The  cattle 
and  hogs  were  chased  into  the  streets  and  were  after- 
wards caught  and  taken  for  their  stores.  As  they  led  me 
past  the  fires  I  had  to  witness  horrible  sights.  They 
started  their  work  of  destruction  about  an  hour's  distance 
from  Diest  along  the  Diest-Beeringen  highway.  They 
set  the  'Zwarten  Ring'  inn  ablaze  after  having  eaten  and 
drunk  there,  and  as  a  reward  they  shot  the  pro- 
prietor dead.  They  continued  to  burn  down  all  they  came 
across  on  their  passage,  first  making  themselves  master  of 
all  food  products  and  fodder.  Besides  this  they  burned 
all  the  hay  they  came  across,  also  the  wheat  in  the  fields 
in  the  neighborhood  and  on  either  side  of  the  aforesaid 
highway.  On  reaching  the  village  they  shot  the  two 
brothers  Verheyen,  30  and  32  years  of  age,  who  were  still 
on  their  farms.  Besides  this  they  pierced  them  with  their 
lances,  threw  them  into  a  neighboring  ditch  and  then 
covered  them  with  a  little  grass.  They  then  set  fire  to  the 
whole  village  and  to  the  thickly  populated  hamlet  of 
Schoonaerde,  with  the  exception  of  two  stables  and  the 
nuns'  school,  the  former  for  their  horses.  They  also 
spared  the  Charles  Serneels  Castle,  where  they  immedi- 
ately installed  themselves  with  a  few  officers  and  fixed  up 
a  telephone.  In  the  course  of  this  sinister  work  they 
carried  their  atrocities  to  such  a  pitch  as  to  kill  the  few 
people  still  to  be  found  in  the  streets  or  in  the  houses. 

"Here  is  the  list  of  those  killed : 

1st.  Frans  Broeders,  45  years  old,  blacksmith,  whose 
arms  were  broken  and  who  was  then  shot  and  ripped  open 
by  means  of  lances. 

2nd.  Enkels'  son,  25  years  old,  who  was  in  the  street 
with  his  cart.  He  had  to  give  up  his  horse  and  cart  and 
was  then  shot  dead. 

3rd.  Adrien  Derboven,  78  years  old,  mason,  who  re- 
ceived a  thrust  of  a  lance  in  the  back  and  was  shot 
through  the  side  (lived  one  day  afterward). 

4th.     Alfons  Derboven,  45  years  old,  mason,  shot  while 


66  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

taking  to  flight  and  whose  abdomen  was  ripped  open  by 
means  of  a  lance. 

5th.  Daughter  of  Jean  Oeyen,  9  years  old,  with 
August  Van  den  Broeck,  who  held  this  child  by  the  hand, 
were  shot. 

6th.  Mrs.  Luyckx,  45  years  of  age,  as  well  as  her 
daughter,  aged  12,  who  had  hidden  herself  in  a  sewer, 
were  shot  dead. 

7th.  Louis  Laermans,  aged  70,  who  was  shot  dead 
while  his  farm  was  ablaze. 

8th.  Louis  Baren,  aged  42,  who  was  ill  and  had  to 
remain  at  home,  burned  in  his  blazing  house. 

9th.  Andre  Willems,  23  years  of  age,  sacristan,  was 
bound  to  a  tree,  covered  with  straw  and  then  burned 
alive. 

10th.  Joseph  Reynders,  40  years  of  age,  and  his  little 
nephew,  aged  10,  were  found  killed. 

1 1  th.  Alf ons  Vandervelpen,  24  years  old,  was  shot 
dead  whi-le  trying  to  escape. 

12th.  Guillaume  Hanegreefs,  Jr.,  17. years  old,  shot 
dead  while  trying  to  escape. 

13th.  Gustave  Loots,  40  years  old,  and  his  brother- 
in-law,  Jean  Macken,  40  years  of  age,  both  dairy  produce 
dealers,  probably  buried  alive. 

14th.  Frangois  Gile,  24  years  old,  shot  dead  and  then 
thrown  into  the  water. 

15th.  Hendrika  Zekers,  an  old  woman  of  Molenstede, 
found  shot  dead. 

"The  Reverend  Vicar  was  hanged  twice.  When  he 
was  on  the  point  of  dying  they  liberated  him.  They  then 
turned  him  with  his  eyes  staring  at  the  sun,  and  he  had 
to  remain  in  that  position  for  an  hour;  when  he  lowered 
his  eye-lids  they  struck  him  with  the  butt  end  of  a  gun 
and  shouted  out  to  him :  'Have  another  good  look  at  the 
sun  which  you  saw  rise  but  which  you  will  not  see  set.' 
After  this  martyrdom  they  led  him  to  the  church,  which 
they  did  not  succeed  in  burning  down;  they  smashed 
everything  they  could  lay  their  hands  on,  after  which 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION     67 

they  installed  their  horses  there.  They  then  left  the 
priest  thinking  he  was  dead.  He  came  to  himself  and 
managed  to  overtake  the  other  refugees  in  the  fields  and 
woods.  He  was  almost  dying  and  he  was  dressed  in  citi- 
zen's clothes  which  the  peasants  brought  to  him. 

"I  was  obliged  to  be  the  weak  and  powerless  looker-on 
of  all  these  dreadful  deeds.  They  then  again  led  me  to 
the  hamlet  of  Schoonaerde  (nearer  Diest)  where  their 
troops  passed  in  extraordinary  numbers.  Here  they 
gave  me  as  companions  two  peasants  of  Meldert,  whom 
they  had  taken  prisoners,  together  with  their  horses  and 
carts.  These  men  were  named  Schepers  and  Poel.  We 
had  then  to  approach  all  the  blazing  houses  in  order  to 
find  pails  and  barrels  from  which  their  horses  could  drink. 
We  had  to  draw  water  from  a  neighboring  well,  and  were 
continually  threatened  with  their  revolvers.  W^e  were 
then  compelled  to  walk  in  the  first  rows  through  the 
town  of  Diest,  which  had  that  day  been  taken  possession 
of  by  the  Germans.  Meantime,  we  had  to  load  the  carts 
with  all  the  bread  we  could  find  at  the  bakers.  When 
this  work  did  not  progress  quickly  enough  according  to 
their  liking,  they  held  a  revolver  to  my  chest.  We  thus 
loaded  two.  cartf uls  of  loaves.  I  had  then  again  to  march 
at  their  head  to  direct  them  toward  Montaigu.  When  we 
approached  the  village  they  halted  a  few  minutes.  As 
their  sentinels  placed  themselves  at  each  side  of  the  road, 
I  took  advantage  of  one  moment  to  escape  through  a 
hedge  in  the  field  and  was  immediately  followed  by  a 
crowd  and  by  pistol  shots.  Thanks  to  the  darkness  I  was 
able  to  escape.  I  reached  a  farm  at  midnight  and  rested 
there  until  3  o'clock,  and  then  I  continued  my  flight 
toward  Schaffen,  where  I  found  my  family  and  neighbors 
hidden  in  fields  and  woods  near  a  brook.  I  then  went  to 
the  Serneele  Castle  with  three  other  people  and  asked  the 
German  officers'  permission  to  bury  my  parents  and  ac- 
quaintances in  the  graveyard.  This  was  granted  to  me. 
We  received  a  German  passport,  and  a  German  officer 
accompanied  us.    They  also  ordered  us  to  bury  at  the  same 


68  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

time  the  bowels  of  a  cow.  Underneath  the  same  we  dis- 
covered the  feet  of  a  person  whom  they  had  buried  head 
downward.  In  this  way  we  found  Gustave  Loots  and 
Jean  Macken,  already  mentioned.  According  to  the 
declarations  of  Mrs.  Loots,  these  people  must  have  been 
buried  alive.  We  had  to  bury  all  these  bodies  in  one 
grave.  Then  we  were  allowed  to  return.  I  then  overtook 
the  other  refugees.  Useless  to  describe  the  scenes  which  I 
witnessed.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  describe  the  life  of 
these  people,  deprived  of  everything.  One  of  the 
wounded  has  just  died. 

"It  appears  that  the  Germans  behaved  in  the  same 
barbarous  manner  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lummen- 
Molenstede-Hersselt." 

(Signed)  Joseph  Rymen. 

Mrs.  Joseph  Claes-Toussaint,  30  years  of  age: 

"On  Thursday,  20th  August,  I,  my  aunt,  my  hus- 
band, and  myself  had  taken  flight.  In  a  certain  part  of 
Aerschot,  my  husband  was  shot  in  the  back  and  killed  by 
the  Germans,  while  carrying  our  child.  The  Germans  had 
got  on  to  a  roof  in  Aerschot  and  in  this  way  shot  at  the 
fugitives." 

(Signed)  Mrs.  Joseph  Claes-Toussaint. 

Edmond  Amter,  workman,  45  years,  rue  des  Joyeuses 
Entrees,  61  Louvain: 

"On  my  way  to  Louvain  last  Saturday  I  was  arrested 
in  Sas  Campenhout  by  Germans,  from  half  past  eleven  till 
4  o'clock.  We  were  then  released.  There  were  eighteen 
of  us.  A  non-commissioned  officer  took  all  our  money 
from  us."  (Signed)  Amter. 

Jules  Crabe,  of  Rotselaer,  employe  aged  19: 

"On  Thursday  evening,  the  German  troops  coming 
from  Aerschot  burned  down  about  15  houses.  They 
locked  the  men  up  in  the  church  from  the  evening  until 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    69 

the  morning,  and  then  let  them  escape.  The  Germans 
had  not  been  attacked.  A  German  officer,  threatening 
with  his  revolver,  wished  me  to  declare  that  the  Belgians 
had  set  fire  to  the  place.  I  replied  that  the  Belgians 
had  left  the  town  the  day  before.  The  officer  said: 
'Then  they  must  have  fired.'  The  Germans  pillaged 
everything  they  could  find.  A  non-commissioned  German 
officer  told  me  that  it  grieved  him  to  act  in  this  way,  but 
that  the  Belgians  were  to  blame  as  they  had  started  it." 
After  reading  the  above,  the  witness  confirms  and  signs. 

(Signed)  J.  Crabe. 

He  adds :  ''On  Thursday  afternoon  when  coming  from 
Muysen  to  Rotselaer,  with  three  companions,  we  met  some 
Germans  at  the  Bridge  of  Haecht.  They  called  out  to  us 
'come.'  I  saw  three  of  them.  One  of  us  went  forward, 
with  his  bicycle  in  his  hand.  We  fled ;  the  Germans  shot. 
One  of  my  comrades  was  killed.  The  one  who  went  for- 
ward was  wounded." 

After  reading  the  above,  the  witness  confirms  and  signs. 

(Signed)  J.  Crabe. 

Mr.  Thomas  Courtois,  school  teacher  at  Wacherzeel- 
Wechter,  52  years  old: 

"The  fugitives  who  passed  through  our  village  advised 
us  to  take  to  flight  and  the  commander  of  the  Belgian 
troops  told  us  to  follow  this  advice.  We  did  this  and  the 
whole  village  was  emptied.  Notwithstanding  this  I  learn 
that  the  Germans  afterward  burned  about  35  out  of  1 1  o 
houses."  (Signed)  Th.  Courtois. 

Mr.  Louis  Leflot,  student  of  theology  at  the  Grand 
Seminaire  of  Malines,  born  1st  June,  1891,  living  in 
Aerschot: 

"The  Belgian  troops  arrived  in  Aerschot  on  the  18th 
and  asked  me  to  join  the  ambulance  service,  as  they  fore- 
saw the  battle  which  was  to  take  place.     The  Germans 


70  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

entered  on  the  19th,  and  while  I  was  picking  up  two 
wounded  people,  they  continued  to  shoot  on  me,  although 
I  pointed  out  to  them  my  Red  Cross  badge.  While  look- 
ing after  the  sick  I  was  all  day  long  threatened  and  mal- 
treated by  the  Germans.  An  officer  held  a  revolver  to  my 
forehead  and  told  me  'that  the  courage  of  the  Belgians 
made  the  enemy  jealous.'  On  Thursday  evening  the 
Germans  bombarded  Aerschot  (reprisals)  from  7  o'clock 
to  1 1  o'clock,  feigning  that  the  Belgians  had  fired.  I  am 
sure  that  the  son  of  the  mayor,  who  was  a  very  gentle  and 
timid  boy,  did  not  fire  at  an  officer.  I  left  Aerschot  at  3 
o'clock  Wednesday  morning." 

After  reading  the  above  the  witness  confirms  and  signs. 

(Signed)  L.  Leflot. 

Frans  Brusselaers,  fireman  of  the  State  Railway,  liv- 
ing at  Aerschot: 

"I  went  to  Aerschot  on  Saturday  to  look  for  my  wife 
and  children.  At  Beggynedyk,  a  German,  threatening 
me  with  his  revolver,  forced  me  to  show  him  the  way. 
I  then  came  to  Aerschot  and  found  my  wife.  My  house 
is  destroyed  by  bullets  and  howitzers  and  to  the  knowledge 
of  my  wife,  the  Germans  continued  destroying  up  till 
Friday.  I  escaped  with  my  wife  to  Beggynedyk.  My 
wife,  while  on  the  road,  found  the  body  of  a  sluice-keeper, 
Bruyninckx's  son ;  he  was  burned  by  the  Germans  because 
the  bridge  had  been  left  open.  There  are  still  Germans  in 
Aerschot." 

(Signed)  Brusselaers,  Frans. 

Mr.  Henry  Percy,  Proprietor,  26  rue  de  la  Justice, 
Antwerp: 

"My  son  Willie  belonged  to  the  Brussels  Red  Cross 
Ambulance.  He  was  doing  motor  car  service  between 
Brussels  and  Hannut  in  order  to  pick  up  the  wounded. 
He  bore  the  Red  Cross  badge.  The  vicar  of  Velm  wrote 
me  in  a  letter  which  I  received  on  Thursday,  13th,  that 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION     71 

my  son  "had  passed  through  the  hands  of  the  Prussians 
and  that  he  would  do  all  he  could  for  him."  Since  then 
I  have  not  received  any  definite  news,  except  that  the 
papers  stated  that  he  had  been  found  bound  and  shot 
dead." 

After  reading  the  above,  witness  confirms  and  signs. 

(Signed)  Henry  Percy. 

Mr.  Dieudonne  Van  de  Meulebroeck,  aged  53,  coal 
merchant  at  Aerschot: 

"I  cannot  say  whether  an  officer  was  wounded  on 
Wednesday  evening  on  the  Grande  Place.  This  seems  im- 
probable as  nobody  was  allowed  to  leave  the  house.  On 
Wednesday  morning,  toward  8  o'clock,  the  Germans  came 
to  my  house,  then  left.  Later  they  broke  in  the  doors 
of  my  neighbor's  house  and  fired  shots.  My  wife  went 
out  and  said  they  ought  not  to  do  this  as  the  houses  were 
inhabited  by  railway  workmen.  They  left  off  and  then 
went  further  along.  Toward  half  past  one  I  saw  them 
set  fire  to  the  whole  of  the  Rue  du  Marteau.  I  saw  them 
fire  at  a  man. 

"The  Aerschot  townspeople  did  not  help  to  defend  the 
town.  The  mayor  had  asked  the  population  not  to  com- 
mit any  hostile  deeds.  He  had  posted  placards  to  that 
effect.  Circulars  also  to  this  effect  had  been  sent  out  two 
or  three  times.  I  left  on  Thursday  toward  1.30  or  2 
o'clock." 

(Signed)  Van  de  Meulebroeck. 

F.  Huysmans,  litter  bearer,  of  Aerschot: 

"I  saw  that  the  son  of  the  public  receiver  who  had 
been  sent  by  his  father  for  bread  for  the  Germans  quar- 
tered at  his  place  was  shot  dead  by  the  Germans  in  the 
Rue  de  I'Hopital;  he  bore  his  badge.  That  took  place 
on  Wednesday  toward  7  o'clock.  The  Germans  fired  to 
frighten  the  people.  ^ 


72  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

"I  was  in  Aerschot  yesterday.  All  was  quiet,  but  the 
Germans  seemed  to  be  afraid.  Only  some  women  of  the 
lower  classes  remained  over.  They  seemed  to  enjoy  them- 
selves with  the  Germans,  but  I  do  not  believe  that  the 
Germans  have  outraged  the  women  and  girls." 

(Signed)  Fr.  Huysmans. 

The  President  communicates  to  the  Committee  a  let- 
ter received  from  Mr.  Bulcke,  calling  its  attention  to  the 
bombarding  of  the  town  of  Antwerp  by  a  Zeppelin  on  the 
night  of  23-24th  August. 

The  Committee  decides  to  bring  the  matter  before  the 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  as  well  as  the  fact  mentioned 
by  the  papers  that  floating  mines  had  been  laid,  this  in 
contradiction  to  regulations  of  The  Hague  Convention^ 

Which  is  noted. 

The  President : 
(Signed)  Cooreman. 
The  Secretaries: 

(Signed)  Orts. 


MEETING    OF    THE    27TH    AUGUST,    1914 

Present:  Messrs.  Cooreman,  President;  Ryckmans, 
Strauss,  Goblet  d'Alviella,  Van  Cutsem,  members;  Messrs. 
Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck  and  Orts,  Secretaries. 

The  chair  is  taken  at  9  o'clock. 

The  Committee  has  taken  Mr.  Zech,  lawyer,  as  assist- 
ant secretary : 

Rev.  Mr.  Van  Roye,  vicar  at  Aerschot,  refers  to  his  de- 
position of  25th  inst.,  regarding  the  attempt  to  outrage  his 
servant.  He  cannot  affirm  for  sure  that  this  has  taken 
place,  but  she  was  found  drowned  the  next  day.  As  re- 
gards the  servant  of  the  priest  of  Hersselt,  the  facts  are 
quite  proved :  she  only  escaped  being  outraged  by  taking 
to  flight.    The  next  day  she  told  the  vicar  of  Hersselt  that 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    73 

several  German  officers  had  come  to  her  room.  At 
Hersselt  32  houses  were  burned  and  18  people  killed. 

"Paul  Verlinden  of  Aerschot  told  me  that  40  of  them 
had  been  herded  together  and  that  at  a  certain  signal  they 
had  to  run  and  were  then  shot  down. 

"I  myself  escaped  a  shot.  The  Germans  were  against 
the  religious  authorities,  pretending  that  shots  had  been 
fired  from  the  church  steeple.    This  is  false." 

Franz  Pessendorfer,  Gardener  at  Sempt: 

'The  Germans  slept  in  Van  Dam's  house.  Both  father 
and  son  were  in  the  cellar.  They  came  out  toward  morn- 
ing and  were  then  shot  dead  and  stabbed  with  lances. 
The  neighbors  related  this  to  me  and  I  saw  the  corpses, 
which  had  been  pierced  by  lances.  They  had  the  bodies 
buried  by  a  neighbor  named  Pickaert.  They  burned 
down  houses  along  the  road,  as  well  as  haystacks.  My 
parents'  house,  which  was  open,  and  inhabited  by  my  old 
father  of  75  and  my  sister,  is  also  burned  down.  I 
counted  1 1  burned  houses." 

(Signed)  Franz  Pessendorfer. 

Maria  Janssens,  married  to  Joannes  Bulens  Hofstade; 

"Last  Friday  afternoon  I  saw  a  young  woman  who  had 
been  hanged  to  a  tree  with  a  rope,  about  a  meter  from  the 
ground.  This  had  taken  place  on  the  Tervueren  highway. 
I  saw  a  good  many  people  with  their  hands  tied  behind 
their  backs  and  whom  the  Germans  chased  away,  and  a 
boy  whose  neck  had  been  pierced  by  a  lance.  He  was 
already  dead." 

(Signed)  Maria  Janssens. 

Frans  Verschoren,  Professor  at  Lierre: 

"I  met  fugitives  from  Haecht  who  had  witnessed  the 
atrocities  inflicted.  Five  cyclists  had  been  arrested.  Four 
were  shot  and  covered  with  bayonet  wounds.  The  fifth 
had  been  struck  with  the  butt  end  of  a  musket  and*is  now, 


74  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

it  seems,  in  the  Louvain  Hospital.     His  name  is  Charles 
or  Frans  de  Coster. 

"I  also  heard  it  said,  but  cannot  vouch  for  its  truth — 
that  Mr.  Keerbergen's  son  had  had  his  hands  amputated 
and  that  the  stumps  had  been  turned  into  the  unfortunate 
man's  chest. 

"The  people  of  this  village  had  not  fired.  Witnesses 
have  assured  me  of  this. 

"Thirty  out  of  105  houses  at  Wackerzeele,  near  Haecht, 
have  been  burned  down.  The  population  first  fled,  but 
then  were  made  to  return." 

(Signed)  Fr.  Verschoren. 

Max  Dartois  (Horse  Guard  Squadron),  Liege: 

"I  can  certify  that  none  of  the  villagers  shot  at  Vise. 
I  was  the  last  to  leave  the  town. 

"The  soldiers  did  not  shoot  from  the  roadway,  but  from 
the  yard  belonging  to  a  house,  at  Lixhe,  near  the  water 
pass,  and  this  might  have  lead  the  Germans  to  think  that 
the  villagers  had  fired.  Witness  since  then  learned  that 
the  inhabitants  of  that  house  had  been  shot. 

"From  investigations  which  I  made,  it  seems  that  no 
fighting  took  place  between  German  soldiers  and  towns- 
people at  Vise,  but  at  first  there  were  Belgian  soldiers  in 
Vise.  I  can  certify  that  at  1  p.  m.  we  had  shot  about  250 
Germans.  I  had  ordered  no  shots  to  be  fired  except  when 
sure.    We  remained  there  (at  the  ford)  for  three  hours. 

"I  must  also  state  that  the  peasants  were  not  armed; 
they  even  complained  about  this.  They  only  remained  at 
their  windows  and  I  told  them  to  withdraw." 

The  witness  also  attests  that  there  was  not  a  sign  of 
a  street  fight  having  taken  place  in  Lixhe. 

"At  Linsmeau,  a  German  officer  of  the  dragoons  was 
killed  in  a  charge  against  a  squadron  of  light  cavalrymen 
of  the  Liege  Guard.  The  officer  was  stripped  by  a  caval- 
ryman with  the  intention  of  returning  the  things  to  the 
family. 

"These  objects  were  left  in  the  care  of  the  parish  priest 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COiMMISSION     75 

in  the  presence  of  the  commanding  officer  of  the  corps. 
I  had  issued  orders  to  the  farmers  to  have  the  German 
officer  buried  in  the  middle  of  a  beet  field.  This  officer 
had  been  killed  by  a  shot  in  the  neck,  just  as  he  was  order- 
ing the  Belgians  to  surrender.  From  Opheylissen  I,  to- 
gether with  the  whole  squadron,  witnessed  the  fusillade 
directed  against  Linsmeau  and  the  fires  which  were  lighted 
at  three  different  points  in  the  vicinity." 

(Signed)  M.  Dartois. 

Charles  Gys,  fireman-engineer,  Sempst  (bridge): 

"The  Germans  came  to  our  village  at  5  o'clock  last 
Tuesday  morning.  While  the  fighting  was  going  on  they 
called  out  all  the  men  of  our  neighborhood  and  made 
them  stand  against  the  wall  of  Ashbroeck, .  with  their 
hands  up;  when  they  left  they  took  four  men  along  with 
them,  made  them  precede  them  with  tied  hands,  same 
as  happened  in  Wolverthem,  but  we  did  not  see  them 
back.  They  had  not  to  show  them  the  way,  as  they  had 
already  been  four  or  five  days  in  the  village.  Out  of  the 
35  houses  near  the  bridge  12  were  set  on  fire.  They  took 
two  of  our  clocks  along  with  them." 

(Signed)  Karel  Gys. 

Jan  Joseph  Gys: 

"I  witnessed  the  same  facts  as  those  related  by  my 
son." 

(Could  not  sign.) 

Rev.  Count  Xavier  de  Ribaucourt,  Military  Chaplain, 
volunteer  attached  to  t'le  first  regiment  of  Carabiniers 
(6th  Army  Division) : 

"On  the  25th  August  I  ascertained  that  in  the  village 
of  Hofstade,  near  Malines,  an  old  woman  of  about  60 
years  of  age  had  been  killed  by  a  dozen  bayonet  thrusts, 
as  the  Germans  drew  back  before  the  carabiniers.  She 
still  held  a  needle  and  cotton  in  her  hand,  with  which 


76  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

she  had  been  sewing.    We  found  her  in  her  house.    We 
had  her  placed  on  a  stretcher  along  the  roadway. 

"I  also  ascertained  that  a  young  man  of  about  16  years, 
one  of  whose  arms  had  been  cut  off  a  little  below  the  el- 
bow, and  who  was  still  alive  when  our  troops  entered  the 
village,  was  shot  dead  by  the  Germans. 

"I  also  ascertained  that  a  carabinier  having  been  lightly 
wounded  on  the  railway  embankment,  was  killed  by 
means  of  blows  administered  on  the  head  with  the  butt 
end  of  a  musket.    The  head  was  smashed  in. 

(Signed)   Count  Xavier  de  Ribaucourt. 

Jules  de  Leender,  coppersmith  at  Aerschot: 

"Shots  were  fired  by  the  Germans  among  each  other 
for  their  amusement;  they  fired  into  the  market  and  in 
the  street,  also  on  the  Groote  market.  Immediately  af- 
terwards, toward  seven  o'clock,  they  started  the  firing  of 
their  cannons  and  began  burning  the  houses.  At  night, 
they  walked  round  the  town,  smashed  the  shop  windows 
and  threw  everything  out  of  my  shop  into  the  street.  In 
the  morning,  I  managed  to  run  away." 

(Signed)  J.  De  Leender. 

Rev.  Ernest  Leers,  vicar  of  Aerschot: 

"Notwithstanding  the  red  cross  badge  which  I  wore 
and  which  I  showed  to  the  Germans,  they  shot  at  me 
Wednesday  morning.  All  the  furniture  belonging  to 
Mr.  E.  Geens,  the  vicar,  and  to  the  dean  were  de- 
molished and  smashed  to  atoms  and  the  pieces  were 
thrown  into  the  steeple,  after  having  been  steeped  in 
paraffin,  thus  the  Germans  tried  ^va  times  to  set  the 
church  on  fire. 

"Two  hundred  houses  have  been  pillaged  and  burned 
down ;  the  rest  have  been  emptied.  An  old  woman  of  90 
years  of  age  was  kept  a  prisoner  in  the  street  the  whole 
night  long.  All  the  town  registers  have  been  taken  away, 
as  well  as  two  chests  of  gold  and  silver." 

(Signed)   E.  Leers. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    77 

Paul  Verlinden,  Wine  Merchant  at  Aerschot: 

"Two  or  three  houses  had  already  been  burned  down 
in  the  morning.  Toward  7  o'clock  in  the  evening  we 
were  herded  together  four  by  four.  About  four  of  us 
were  just  in  the  light  caused  by  a  burning  house.  Four 
men  had  to  come  forward,  and  the  soldiers  shot  the 
group.  I  feigned  death  and  escaped  by  hiding  in  a  po- 
tato held.  I  noticed  that  they  afterward  visited  the 
dead  and  gave  the  finishing  stroke  to  one  who  still  lived. 
I  counted  41  corpses  the  next  day.  I  first  hid  in  a  villa. 
Almost  starved  to  death,  I  gave  myself  over  to  the  Ger- 
mans, who  let  me  go  the  next  day,  because  I  said  I  was 
a  Dutchman.  In  the  course  of  that  day,  I  was  several 
times  required  to  transport  German  wounded  and  to  at- 
tend to  the  stores.  With  other  Belgians  I  was  obliged  to 
bury  the  Mayor  and  his  son. 

"Among  my  group  of  four,  a  professor  of  Louvain, 
Robert  Carrette,  rue  des  Recollets,  was  killed.  The  Ger- 
mans say  that  a  German  superior  officer  has  been  killed, 
but  the  Belgians  did  not  do  this.  A  Belgian  soldier,  liv- 
ing rue  de  Malines,  dressed  himself  in  citizen's  clothes  in 
a  house  and  went  on  shooting,  but  I  was  not  an  eye-wit- 
ness of  this."  (Signed)  P.  Verlinden. 


Count  Harold  de  Hemptinne,  volunteer,  living  at 
Ghent: 

"At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  25th  and  26th 
August,  I  saw  in  Sempst,  near  Malines,  a  man  from 
whom  two  legs  had  been  cut  off  up  to  the  knees  by  the 
Germans;  he  was  half  charred. 

"I  also  found  another  one  whose  arms  and  legs  were 
cut  off.  He  was  charred.  I  came  across  a  boy  of  less 
than  14  years  old  whose  body  was  riddled  with  bayonet 
thrusts. 

"These  horrors  must  have  been  committed  by  the  Ger- 
mans before  their  withdrawal  from  Sempst. 

"Before  leaving,  the  Germans  must  have  taken  all  the 


78  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

men  of  the  neighboring  villages  along  with  them.    They 
will  have  to  work  for  them  in  the  trenches. 

"I  met  fugitive  women  who  told  me  that  during  the 
preceding  day's  fighting,  they  had  to  place  themselves 
before  the  Germans.  They  had  to  bend  forward  when 
the  Germans  fired,  and  had  to  resume  standing  position 
when  the  Belgians  fired. 

"After  reading  the  above  the  witness  confirms  and 
signs." 

(Signed)  de  Hemptinne. 

"Mr.  Emile  Carrette,  alderman,  aged  74  years,  was 
among  the  45  men.  As  he  could  not  follow,  he  was 
pushed  along  by  the  butts  of  the  rifles  and  trampled  upon 
by  horses. 

"I  do  not  know  what  has  become  of  him." 


MEETING  OF  28TH  AUGUST. 

Morning  Session. 

Present:  M.  Cooreman,  President;  Van  Cutsem, 
Count  Goblet  d'Alviella,  Strauss,  Ryckman,  members; 
Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck  and  Orts,  Secretaries; 
Zech,  Assistant  Secretary. 

The  Commission  joins  to  its  official  report  a  letter  hop. 
the  municipal  authorities  of  Rethy  and  a  note  of  M.  Cer- 
fout.  Engineer  of  the  Road  Building  Department,  con- 
cerning the  atrocities  committed  at  Vise. 

The  Commission  then  receives  the  declaration  of  the 
witnesses : 

Sterkendries  (Francis),  Sacristan  at  Linsmeau: 

"On  Monday  next,  it  will  be  three  weeks  since  the 
arrival  of  the  German  troops  in  our  village.  (600  in- 
habitants, 1 10  houses.)     The  people  did  not  shoot;  they 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    79 

did  not  even  have  firearms  in  their  possession.  The 
Burgomaster  had  ordered  everyone  to  keep  quiet. 

"A  German  officer  was  killed  by  soldiers  of  the  Liege 
Civil  Guard  passing  in  a  motor  car.  The  Germans  did 
not  see  the  car  and  so  they  all  said  that  it  was  our  people 
who  had  killed  their  man.  On  the  high  road  they  burned 
8  farms  along  the  high  road.  Monday  evening  they 
yard  and  burned  his  farm.  They  took  a  lot  of  money 
in  a  cafe  nearby.  The  whole  village  was  looted;  the  Ger- 
mans taking  money,  jewels,  watches,  provisions,  clothes; 
after  that  they  took  all  the  men  and  bound  them.  The- 
women  said  that  meanwhile  they  had  a  very  hard  time; 
they  would  not  say  more.  The  Germans  led  all  the  men 
to  a  meadow,  insulting  them  all  the  way,  calling  them 
'wretched  Belgians,'  threatening  them  with  death.  They 
made  them  swear  not  to  fire  on  their  troops. 

"All  these  things  took  place  on  Monday;  the  enemy 
left  on  Tuesday. 

''The  Germans  insisted  that  their  officer  had  been 
killed  by  some  inhabitants.  That's  why  they  burned  the 
8  farms  along  the  high  road.  Monday  evening  they 
killed  18  of  our  people.  My  brother-in-law  found 
their  corpses  buried  in  his  own  field  on  Thursday.  All 
their  heads  had  been  broken  with  the  butt  ends  of  the 
muskets.  Some  of  the  men  killed  were  the  same  who 
had  wanted  to  bury  the  German  officer. 

"Here  are  the  names  of  the  victims: 

Debootz  (G.  Gh.) 

Bourguignon  (Constant)  and  his  two  sons,  Jules  and 
Constant 

Mouillard  (Jules) 

Jonniaux  (Joseph) 

Bitanne   (Antoine) 

Triffaux  (Isidore) 

Tirraad  (Leon) 

Delhe  (Edouard) 

Perchen  (Henri) 


8o  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Jonniaux  (Lucian)  and  wife,  born  Verdael. 

Desirant  (Leopold)." 

(Signed  by  the  Witness)   Francis  St erken dries. 

2.  M.  Chaudoir,  of  Hamoir,  commanding  officer  of 
the  cavalry  corps  of  the  Civic  Guard  of  Liege: 

''I  was  at  the  fights  round  about  Lixhe  and  Vise;  re- 
maining on  the  left  bank  of  the  Meuse.  The  firing  I 
heard  coming  from  the  right  bank,  from  Vise,  was  not  due 
to  war  weapons.  (I  know  enough  about  firearms  to  be 
sure  of  it.)  We  were  separated  from  Vise  only  by  the 
breadth  of  the  river ;  nothing  led  us  to  suppose  that  there 
was  a  fight  going  on  between  the  Germans  and  the  in- 
habitants. When  the  Germans  arrived  in  front  of  the 
Meuse,  they  installed  themselves  in  some  houses  and 
fired  on  us  from  there. 

"I  was  at  the  skirmish  of  Linsmeau.  My  men  shot 
down  a  cavalry  officer  (Hussar  regiment).  The  Ger- 
mans saw  that  he  had  been  killed  by  regulars.  I  did  not 
hear  a  single  shot  coming  from  the  inhabitants  of 
Linsmeau."  (Signed)  Chaudoir. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Meeus,  Dean  of  Aerschot: 

"I  did  not  hear  about  the  death  of  a  German  officer  of 
high  rank  at  Aerschot.  The  Germans,  at  first,  behaved 
properly  in  the  town.  Later  on  they  gave  out  that  the 
son  of  the  Burgomaster  had  fired  on  them.  It  does  not 
seem  to  me  possible,  knowing  the  boy. 

"During  the  battle,  the  previous  days,  some  Belgian 
soldiers  had  fired  from  the  tower  of  my  church;  that  is 
why  the  Germans  wanted  to  punish  me.  They  say  it  is 
not  allowed  to  shoot  from  a  church.  Thursday  morning 
a  nun  of  the  convent  came  to  tell  me  to  hide  myself.  I 
hid  myself  in  the  cistern  of  a  newly  built  house  and 
stayed  there  from  Thursday  to  Saturday.  On  Monday, 
when  I  left  Aerschot,  I  saw  that  all  the  town  had  been 
sacked."  (Signed)   Meeus. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    81 

Annex  to  the  Minutes  of  Session  of  August  28,  1914. 

Rethy,  26th  August,  1914. 
"Mr.  President: 

"On  Saturday,  the  22d  of  August,  1914,  about  5.30 
p.  M.,  17  Uhlans  came  from  the  direction  of  Easterle  to 
the  Grand'  Place  of  Rethy,  and  proceeded  on  their  way 
to  Moll.  Following  them  at  a  distance  of  about  500  me- 
ters were  two  other  German  cavalrymen.  These  two 
were  at  a  distance  of  100  meters  from  the  Grand'  Place 
in  the  streets  of  Moll  when  five  Belgian  gendarmes  came 
from  a  side  street  and  commenced  to  hre  on  the  two  Ger- 
man soldiers.  Both  Germans  were  wounded.  The  first 
troop  of  17  Uhlans  came  back  at  full  speed  upon  hearing 
the  firing.  Then  the  five  Belgian  gendarmes  left  the 
Grand'  Place.  The  German  cavalry  who  had  come  back 
to  the  Grand'  Place  proceeded  on  foot  through  the  streets 
firing  all  the  while  into  the  windows  of  the  houses,  aiming 
especially  at  the  houses  on  the  way  to  Moll.  In  this  way 
a  young  girl,  Elisa  Van  Herck,  15  years  of  age,  was  killed 
by  a  bullet  which  had  been  shot  from  the  gun  of  a  Ger- 
man soldier.  The  Uhlans  then  entered  the  Hotel  "De 
Keyzer"  and  the  houses  of  Victor  Melis  and  of  Eugen 
Scharkon,  and  destroyed  the  furniture  in  these  three 
buildings.  At  the  order  of  their  commander,  they 
set  fire  to  all  the  buildings  on  the  Grand'  Place. 
Terrified,  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  fled  in  all 
directions.  In  the  confusion,  a  priest.  Rev.  Father  Van 
Ganswinckel,  aged  70  years,  was  taken  hatless  out  of  his 
rectory,  was  held  at  the  muzzle  of  a  German  soldier's 
gun,  and  was  directed  to  go  in  search  of  a  physician  who 
might  give  aid  to  the  German  soldiers  who  had  been 
wounded.  Then  the  Burgomaster,  the  pastor,  his  curate 
and  the  Rev.  Van  Genechten,  as  well  as  the  Rev.  Van 
Gansewinkel  and  the  sacristan  of  the  church,  were  taken 
into  custody  by  the  German  soldiers,  who  maltreated  the 
sacristan  to  such  an  extent,  that  had  it  not  been  for  the 


82  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

intervention  of  the  vicar,  the  sacristan  would  have  been 
killed.  Then,  notv/ithstanding  the  repeated  protests  of 
the  Burgomaster  and  the  Rev.  vicar  saying  that  it  was  the 
gendarmes  of  the  regular  Belgian  army  who  had  fired 
upon  the  Uhlans  and  not  the  private  citizens  of  the  town, 
the  Germans  forced  all  the  party  to  accompany  them  on 
their  march.  When  it  became  apparent  that  the  Rev. 
Father  Van  Gansewinkel  was  so  old  and  weak  that  he 
could  not  possibly  walk  with  the  others,  the  Germans 
allowed  him  to  return  to  his  house.  The  others,  however, 
were  obliged  to  continue  with  the  soldiers  beyond  the  vil' 
lage  of  Desschel.  All  the  while  they  were  being  threat- 
ened that,  should  the  German  soldiers  be  attacked,  they 
(the  citizens)  would  immediately  be  shot  down.  How- 
ever, after  proceeding  some  distance  further,  the  German 
commander  liberated  them,  not  doing  so  until  he  had 
given  the  threat  that  should  the  wounded  soldier  be  not 
sent  back  to  Moll  during  the  evening,  the  German  troops 
would  return  to  Re  thy.  The  burning  of  Rethy  had  been 
planned  by  the  Germans  in  such  a  way  that  the  whole 
village  would  have  been  reduced  to  ashes  had  it  not 
been  for  the  timely  work  of  the  inhabitants  of  Rethy, 
who  succeeded  in  partly  stopping  the  spread  of  the  con- 
flagration. Even  with  this  intervention,  the  fire  had 
spread  to  such  an  extent  that  several  houses  had  been 
completely  destroyed.  They  are  as  follows :  The  house 
belonging  to  Mr.  Van  Gansenwinkel ;  house  of  Leopold 
Weyts;  the  house  of  the  widow  Sleddens;  the  house  of 
Victor  Raeynaekers;  the  house  of  the  Siegers  family;  the 
granary,  the  stable  and  the  barn  of  Mr.  J.  De  Witte ;  the 
granary  and  the  stable  of  the  Hotel  de  Keyser.  Besides 
this,  much  damage  was  caused  by  the  fire  to  the  building 
and  to  the  furniture  in  the  house  occupied  by  Miss  Sount- 
jons  and  belonging  to  Mr.  John  Van  Gansewinkel.  For- 
tunately the  fire  was  extinguished  before  the  house  was 
completely  destroyed. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION     83 

''We  beg  you  to  accept,  Mr.  President,  the  expression 
of  our  highest  consideration." 

The  Burgomaster, 

(Signed)   Van  Gansewinkel. 
The  Secretary, 

(Signed)  Willekons. 

Nates  taken  by  M.  Cerfout,  Manager  of  the  road 
building  service,  sent  to  the  Commission  by  the  Minis- 
ter of  Public  Works  : 

"I  showed  in  a  previous  report  how  the  Germans,  in 
despite  of  international  law,  compelled  the  inhabitants 
of  Vise,  the  day  of  their  arrival,  to  pull  down  the  bar- 
ricades and  to  fill  up  the  trenches.  I  also  showed  how 
the  Burgomaster,  Mr.  Meurice,  a  University  professor, 
having  protested,  was  himself  compelled  to  work. 

"The  same  week,  Germans  passing  at  Dalhem  tried 
to  compel  the  burgomaster,  Mr.  Francotte,  brother  of 
the  late  Minister,  to  supply  certain  things  which  had 
been  requisitioned.  He  refused,  feeling  sure  of  his  right. 
He  was  made  prisoner  and  the  rumor  spread  that  he  had 
been  killed. 

"Mr.  Flechet,  formerly  Deputy,  Burgomaster  of  Var- 
sage,  had  the  same  fate ;  he  was  made  prisoner,  as  I  learned 
at  Maastricht,  the  18th  of  August.  I  heard  that  he  had 
been  able  to  get  there. 

"On  about  the  7th  of  August,  the  Germans  fearing 
vengeance  from  the  inhabitants  of  Vise,  took  as  hostages 
the  burgomaster,  Mr.  Meurice,  the  dean  Mr.  Lemmens, 
two  sisters  of  Notre  Dame  and  three  sisters  of  St.  Had- 
elin  School.  (These  details  were  given  to  me  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Goffin,  director  of  the  school,  whom  I  saw 
the  last  time  I  was  able  to  get  to  Vise.) 

"Nobody  knows  what  became  of  the  hostages  after 

the  destruction  of  Vise  by  fire,  the  16th  of  August.    But 

I  must  first  speak  of  what  occurred  on  the  4th,  the  day 

of  the  first  engagement. 

X  '^Eleven  civilians  were  kilkd.    The  bodies  o^  the  two 


84  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Broutsa's  were  thrown  on  the  pavement,  their  faces  un- 
covered; an  officer  of  high  rank  and  several  young  ones 
stood  behind;  the  soldiers  compelled  the  people  to  look 
on  while  a  young  officer  said  in  French:  'Ce  sort  vous 
sera  reserve  si  vous  etes  encore  hostiles.'  (This  will  be 
your  fate  if  you  remain  hostile.) 

"Anyway,  twelve  days  afterwards  the  Germans 
burned  Vise  (after  expelling  the  women  and  children) 
and  shot  down  all  the  men,  who  had  not  had  the  chance 
to  escape. 

"There  is  no  mistake  to  be  made  about  the  fire  of  the 
i6th.  It  was  not  an  accident.  The  last  three  days  I 
was  at  Vise,  I  could  hear,  hour  after  hour,  the  sound  of 
explosions ;  immediately  after  a  new  blaze  would  appear. 
Fires  and  looting  were  not  the  work  of  the  worst  part  of 
the  soldiers.  It  was  all  done  by  order,  under  the  super- 
vision of  officers.  Dutch  Red  Cross  workers  told  me  at 
Maestricht  that  all  along  the  road  from  Bermeau  to 
Monland  they  had  seen  in  the  ditches  heaps  of  bodies  of 
dead  villagers.     The  smell  all  round  was  terrible. 

"At  Devant-le-Pont,  the  Germans  only  passed  by,  so 
we  had  simply  to  suffer  from  their  requisitions  and  from 
their  arrogance.  I  saw  an  officer  enter  a  public  house  on 
horseback  and  ride  round  the  billiard  table. 

"I  am  sorry  to  say  that  a  German  living  in  the  village 
had  terrified  some  timid  inhabitants  by  reminding  them 
of  the  Vise  atrocities,  so  that  they  received  the  enem} 
with  friendliness  and  permitted  these  disgraceful  words 
to  be  written  on  their  doors  in  German:  'This  house 
must  be  preserved.    We  are  friends  of  the  Germans.'  " 

"Last  week,  as  I  was  speaking  indignantly  of  those 
proceedings,   before   several   gentlemen,    I   was   insulted 

by  Mr. ,  a  German  business  man,  and  was  only 

preserved  from  injury  by  my  ambulance. 

"We  were  generally  not  frightened  by  the  troops, 
marching  past  in  columns,  but  we  dreaded  the  soldiers 
going  about  in  small  patrols,  who  went  drinking,  loot- 
ing and  insulting  everybody. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF   VHE  COMMISSION     85 

"It  is  impossible  to  condemn  the  energetic  man  who 
kills  or  wounds  one  of  those  rascals  while  he  is  insulting 
our  wives  or  our  daughters.  It  is  for  local  incidents  of 
the  kind  that  the  German  officers  order  all  the  villages 
to  be  burned.  I  do  not  know  why,  but  on  the  18th  of 
August,  old  Colson,  a  farmer  at  Hallembaye,  wounded 
a  German  horse.  Anyway,  nothing  can  excuse  what  the 
Germans  did  then.  Old  Mr.  Colson,  his  son  and  his 
daughter-in-law  were  shut  up  in  the  farm  house  and 
burned.  The  brutes  destroyed  all  the  village.  I  was 
told  those  details  by  an  inhabitant  who  had  fled  to  Maes- 
tricht. 

"When  I  went  to  the  camp  with  some  Antwerp  sol- 
diers who  had  been  taken  prisoners,  I  saw  a  most  horrible 
sight.  Five  wretched  civilians,  badly  cut  all  over,  their 
hands  tied,  were  brutally  dragged  before  some  officers. 
A  poor  little  cowkeeper,  of  13  or  14  years  of  age,  had  a 
bayonet  stab  in  the  cheek  and  both  his  arms  were  bleed- 
ing. 

"It  was  cruel  to  think  that;  having  to  bring  my 
wounded  to  Maestricht,  I  could  not  try  to  defend  those 
victims.  It  was  even  imprudent  of  me  to  show  my  pity 
for  them.  Several  young  officers  began  to  say  that  the 
Belgians  put  out  the  eyes  of  the  wounded  and  cut  oft 
their  ears.  I  protested  against  such  an  allegation.  A 
Major  stopped  me,  saying  it  was  our  priests  who  preached 
resistance  and  revolt. 

"The  hour  I  passed  in  the  camp  was  enough  to  decide 
me  to  leave  this  scene  of  horrors. 

"I  will  not  repeat  the  details  given  by  the  Maestricht 
refugees;  just  a  single  one. 

"Mrs.  Poswick,  wife  of  the  Burgomaster  of  Cannes, 
was  shot  down  the  18th  August  because  she  did  not  open 
her  door  quick  enough.  The  same  day,  Mr.  Dirix,  Pro- 
vincial Councillor  of  Limburg,  was  killed  with  a  bayonet. 

"At  Maestricht,  a  well  known  doctor  assured  me  that 
a  girl  of  15  and  her  mother  were  nearly  dying,  at  the 


86  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

hospital,   after  having  been   grossly   ill-treated  by  sol-, 
diers. 

"At  Breda  I  met  the  Postmaster  of  Tongres  and  a 
teacher  of  the  royal  school.  They  had  been  chased  out 
of  Tongres,  hands  up,  with  many  others,  on  the  i8th 
August,  while  the  women  and  children  were  sent  in  an- 
other direction.     Why^ 

''Everything  was  burning  on  the  road  to  Maestricht. 
I  will  finish  my  evidence  with  a  most  consoling  reflection. 
The  Dutch,  of  whom  some  of  us  had  doubted  at  first, 
behaved  splendidly,  being  full  of  self-sacrifice  and  of 
mercy.  At  Maestricht  alone,  there  was  on  the  i8th  of 
August,  6,200  Belgian  refugees,  who  relied  on  the  Mu- 
nicipal funds,  supported  by  State  help,  for  their  food. 

"I  traveled  from  Maestricht  to  Boxtel  with  Mr.  Delhy, 
a  Belgian  engineer  residing  at  Amsterdam.  He  had 
brought  to  the  refugees  a  gift  of  4,000  florins  given  by  the 
Charity  Society  of  that  city.  I  heard  that  in  Dutch 
Limburg  there  were  more  than  25,000  Belgian  refugees. 

"Some  refugees  who  arrived  at  Antwerp  via  Boxtel 
and  Breda  received  free  railway  tickets  marked  'Goed 
voor  een  vluchteling.'  " 

(Signed)   F.  Cerfout, 

Manager  Road  Building  Dept. 
Antwerp,  22nd  August,  1914. 

MEETING  OF  AUGUST  28TH.    AFTERNOON  SES^ 

SION. 

Present:  M.  Cooreman,  President;  Count  Goblet 
d'Alviella  von  Cutsem,  Strauss,  members.  Chevalier 
Ernst  de  Bunswyck  and  Orts,  Secretaries;  Zech,  Assistant 
Secretary. 

Antoine  Peemans,  brig-adier  of  the  transport  corps, 
age  28,  bom  at  Skaerbeek,  living  in  France. 

*1  was  attacked,  a  little  before  arriving  at  the  Douai- 
fort,  by  a  few  German  cavalrymen.    I  had  in  charge  a 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION     87 

Red  Cross  van.  The  Germans  fired  on  me  while  I  was 
picking  up  the  wounded,  although  I  was  bearing  the 
Red  Cross  insignia."  (Signed)   Peemans. 

Adele  Vansteenwinkel,  55  years  old,  living  in  Hof- 
stade: 

"I  saw  a  woman  dead  on  the  high  road.  She  was 
about  50  years  old.  She  was  called  Lisa.  A  bayonet  had 
been  thrust  through  her  body." 

(Signed)   Adele  Vansteenwinkel. 

Chevalier  Edouard  de  Selliers  de  Moranville,  lieuten- 
ant in  the  Second  Regiment  of  Guides,  age  32,  Brussels. 

"I  was  taken  prisoner  of  war  by  the  Germans  on  the 
18th  August.  At  Haelen  I  was  taken  to  an  ambulance 
placed  under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  Thorne,  of  Haelen. 
During  my  stay  there,  viz. :  24  hours,  I  saw  that  the 
Germans  had  broken  down  the  doors  of  all  the  abandoned 
houses;  they  looted  them  and  put  all  the  booty  on  mili- 
tary carts.  The  sentries  on  duty  had  their  hands  full; 
they  then  set  on  fire  all  the  houses  they  did  not  require. 

"Twenty  four  hours  later  I  was  taken  over  to  Herck- 
la-Ville  to  the  convent  of  the  Ursuline  Sisters  which  had 
been  converted  into  a  hospital.  From  there  I  was  able 
to  see  fires  burning  at  Donck,  a  neighboring  village, 
abandoned  several  days  before  by  our  troops.  From 
my  window  I  saw  a  group  of  150  to  200  civilians,  with 
two  or  three  of  our  infantrymen,  marching  up  the  road 
from  Herck-la-Ville  to  Hasselt,  under  the  guard  of  Ger- 
man soldiers,  armed  with  muskets  and  bayonets.  The 
men  were  tired  out.  The  curate  of  Herck-la-Ville  was 
able  to  speak  to  one  of  them.  He  was  told  that  they 
were  compelled  to  go  to  Germany  for  the  harvest.  It 
seems  that  most  of  them  were  coming  from  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Aerschot  and  of  Louvain.  I  escaped  a  few 
days  afterward." 

(Signed)  Lt.  Ed.  de  Selliers. 


88  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Van  Leemputte,  Francis,  Teacher  at  Saventhem: 

^  "There  was  a  fight  on  Wednesday,  19th,  at  Wechter, 
about  50  houses  were  set  on  lire;  the  Germans  killed  six 
persons  who  were  trying  to  get  away.  Three  Belgian 
soldiers,  disarmed  but  in  uniform,  were  found  in  a  cellar 
with  a  woman  and  a  child.  The  Germans  let  the  woman 
and  the  child  go  free  and  killed  the  soldiers. 

"Yesterday,  Thursday,  27th  August,  the  Germans  be- 
gan to  burn  all  the  villages;  on  Wednesday  evening  they 
had  taken  six  or  seven  persons  as  prisoners.  I  do  not 
know  what  became  of  them. 

"A  woman  who  was  minding  her  cattle  was  ordered  off 
her  farm  and  the  building  was  burned. 

"On  Friday,  21st,  at  Wechter,  a  girl  of  21,  Julie  de 

P ,  suffered  violence  on  the  part  of  two  soldiers;  they 

ill-treated  her  in  a  house  from  which  the  proprietor  had 
been  expelled.  The  fact  is  certain.  The  girl  is  very  ill; 
Dr.  Adrinens  visited  her  and  verified  it.  The  empty 
houses  were  all  sacked;  the  Germans  took  what  they 
wanted  in  the  others,  giving  worthless  paper  in  pay- 
ment." 

(Signed)   Franz  van  Leemputte. 

Mr.  Joseph  de  Becker  confirms  the  witness'  testi- 
mony and  adds:  1 

"My  cousin  Aloysius  de  Becker  has  told  me  that  25 
Belgian  men  were  taken  into  custody  by  the  Germans. 
Of  these  5  were  shot  down  and  killed.  The  remaining  20 
were  bound  and  tied  to  the  cannons  of  the  Germans,  and 
remained  thus  bound  for  several  days  in  this  position 
without  food,  and  preceded  the  Germans  on  their  march 
south." 

(Signed)  Jos.  de  Becker. 

Julien  van  Soidsenhoven,  contractor,  of  Kessel  Loo: 

"Tuesday  evening  the  Germans  began  to  set  fire  to  the 
town    of    Louvain    and    to    the    surrounding    villages. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    89 

Wednesday  morning  I  fled  with  my  wife,  but  the  Ger- 
mans overtook  us  on  the  road.  All  the  women  were  sent 
in  the  direction  of  the  highway  leading  to  Tirlemont. 
The  soldiers  killed  a  young  man  who  was  with  us;  we 
were  all  bound  with  ropes  and  had  to  march  in  front  of 
them.  We  were  about  150;  we  had  to  remain  with  the 
German  army  till  yesterday  morning,  10  o'clock,  with- 
out receiving  any  food  or  drink. 

"On  Wednesday,  19th  August,  a  band  of  Germans  ar- 
rested 4  men  and  3  women  of  my  family,  one  of  whom 
was  visibly  in  the  family  way.  Her  husband  joined  the 
army.  They  were  all  taken  to  Blawput  and  imprisoned 
in  a  house.  The  young  woman  was  dragged  alone  into 
another  empty  house  and  during  two  hours  she  suffered 
ill-treatment  on  the  part  of  5  soldiers.  When  she  came 
back  her  father  and  one  of  the  others  had  to  carry  her 
home  in  the  most  frightful  condition. 

"On  Thursday,  20th  August,  a  dozen  soldiers  arrested 

at  their  home  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L and  their  daughter, 

aged  16,  my  own  niece.  They  took  them  to  the  country 
house  of  Mr.  Frantzen,  which  is  quite  near.  The  girl  was 
obliged  to  drink  while  the  parents  were  compelled  to  stand 
still,  a  musket  being  turned  in  their  direction. 

"The  girl  was  thrown  on  a  meadow  and  5  or  10  sol- 
diers raped  her.  As  she  was  struggling  violently  they 
stabbed  her  five  times  with  a  bayonet.  She  was  left  in  a 
dying  condition,  and  the  parish  vicar  who  gave  her  the 
last  sacrament  believed  she  would  not  live.  She  had  been 
brought  home  the  day  of  the  outrage  and  the  next  day  the 
priest  whom  the  parents  had  called  had  her  sent  to  the 
hospital  at  Louvain. 

"On  the  Louvain  road  I  saw  a  number  of  burning 
houses.  They  had  been  set  on  fire  while  the  inhabitants 
were  inside  and  I  saw  more  than  20  charred  bodies  of  peo- 
ple who  had  not  had  time  to  get  out." 

(Signed)  J.  van  Soidsenhoven. 


go  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Mr.  Auguste  Dubois,  Lawyer,  Louvain: 

"The  19th  of  August,  at  3  o'clock,  the  first  German 
troops  entered  Louvain.  All  was  quiet  till  Monday.  On 
that  evening  (in  the  morning  the  Germans  had  broken 
into  the  banks)  the  Burgomaster,  Mr.  Colins,  was  nearly 
dragged  to  the  station  by  some  soldiers.  He  had  been,  I 
believe,  taken  as  a  hostage  on  Friday,  21st,  with  Messrs. 
Schmidt  and  Vanderkelen,  and  only  released  several  days 
later.  An  officer  claimed  that  holes  had  been  made  in 
some  houses  on  the  station  street  so  as  to  fire  on  the 
German  troops.  Revolver  in  hand  he  threatened  Mr. 
Colins  and  declared  he  would  destroy  the  city  if  a  single 
shot  was  directed  against  them.  The  Germans  demanded 
then  a  hot  meal  for  250  soldiers  just  arriving.  At  the 
request  of  Mr.  Colins  some  inhabitants  gave  up  provi- 
sions; a  little  later  the  Germans  required  80  mattresses 
for  the  same  men. 

"Hearing  of  what  was  going  on,  Mr.  Schmidt,  an 
alderman,  interceded  with  the  German  commander  who 
had  the  burgomaster  released.  On  Tuesday,  the  24th, 
promise  had  been  given  to  take  no  more  hostages,  but  in 
the  morning  they  took  two  more:  Monsignor  Coen- 
raets  (Vice-Rector  of  the  University)  and  Juge  Maes. 

"In  the  afternoon  of  the  25th  we  felt  the  garrison  was 
getting  nervous.  The  sound  of  cannon  was  heard  and 
the  battle  seemed  to  draw  near  the  town. 

"A  little  later  the  army  baggage  of  some  German 
troops  arrived  in  the  greatest  disorder,  and  soon  after,  a 
heavy  fusillade  was  heard  in  the  streets. 

"I  believe  that  the  garrison  was  mistaken  and  fired  at 
the  Germans  in  retreat.  In  a  few  minutes  the  fusillade 
increased,  cannons  were  heard,  fires  broke  out  in  all  parts 
of  the  town;  the  shooting  continued,  the  Germans  broke 
the  doors  open  to  set  fire  to  the  houses. 

"On  Wednesday  morning,  the  work  of  devastation  was 
done.  An  immense  blaze  of  fire  extended  over  Boulevard 
de  Diest,  rue  de  Diest,  Boulevard  du  Tirlemont,  Place  de 
la  Station.    The  artillery  bombarded  the  houses  to  hasten 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    91 

their  ruin.  I  had  fled  with  my  family  to  a  part  of  the 
Boulevard  de  Diest,  as  yet  spared  by  the  flames.  A 
patrol  ordered  us  to  go  to  the  station,  the  only  safe  place, 
as  all  the  rest  of  the  city  was  going  to  be  bombarded. 
We  did  this.  In  the  square  I  saw  about  15  dead  bodies. 
I  was  then  arrested  and  separated  from  my  family.  I 
heard  that  the  women  and  children  would  be  sent  to 
Germany  (Aix-la-Chapelle)  by  a  train  leaving  the  next 
morning.  The  men  are  kept  as  hostages,  at  the  first  shot 
coming  from  an  inhabitant  we  shall  all  be  killed. 

"We  march  to  Herent,  placed  with  the  first  rank  of  the 
Germans,  we  receive  our  baptism  of  fire  in  a  slight  en- 
counter with  our  infantry.  We  go  then  to  Bueken,  by 
the  road  from  Malines  to  Herent.  All  along  every- 
thing is  sacked;  the  houses  are  burning  in  such  a  manner 
that  we  must  run  to  get  out  of  the  smoke  and  heat. 

"At  Bueken,  a  battalion  of  the  90th  Landwehr  is 
formed  in  a  square.  The  prisoners  are  put  in  the  center 
in  one  line,  their  hands  tied  behind  their  backs.  I  am 
told  I  am  going  to  be  shot.  I  ask  permission  to  write  a 
word  of  farewell  to  my  wife.  The  request  is  granted.  I 
write  a  card  and  give  it  to  the  lieutenant  who  promises 
to  send  it.  We  are  compelled  to  sit  down,  and  a  picket 
advances  on  us.  We  all  believe  our  last  minute  is  come. 
No ;  after  ten  minutes  we  are  brought  back  to  the  march- 
ing soldiers,  and  with  our  hands  still  bound,  directed  to 
Campenhout  where  we  arrive  at  eight  in  the  evening. 
We  had  to  pass  through  an  immense  number  of  troops; 
we  were  terribly  ill-treated,  receiving  blows  of  whips  and 
of  lances.  The  officer  in  charge  of  us,  whom  I  must 
thank  for  his  courtesy,  had  often  to  intervene  for  our 
protection. 

"We  passed  an  awful  night  in  the  church;  at  4.30 
in  the  morning  we  were  told  that  those  who  wished  to 
go  to  confession  had  to  hasten  to  do  so,  all  of  us  being 
condemned  to  death.  At  five  o'clock  we  were  told  that 
we  should  be  released,  but  we  had  to  go  back  to  Louvain. 

"At  Bueken  we  joined  a  number  of  people  from  the 


92  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

neighboring  villages  and  were  all  sent  back  to  Campen- 
hout.  At  the  village  lock,  we  were  pushed  on  to  the 
German  outposts  and  ordered  to  march  off  in  a  band  to 
Malines,  under  pain  of  immediate  death. 

"We  arrived  there  at  1 1 .30  A.  M. ;  I  was  sent  to  Ant- 
werp. 

"All  the  country,  as  far  as  the  German  outposts,  is 
devastated ;  the  houses  are  burned,  the  cattle  stolen,  many 
inhabitants  killed.  We  saw  along  the  road  their  un- 
buried  bodies.  Soldiers  are  chasing  and  beating  the 
cattle. 

"Officers  told  us  that  the  bombarding  of  Lou  vain  was 
continuing.  I  certainly  heard  all  day  Wednesday  ar- 
tillery roaring  in  that  direction." 

(Signed)   August  Dubois,  Lawyer, 

28  Boulvd.  de  Diest, 
Louvain. 

M.  van  Aerschot  confirms  this  testimonial  and  adds: 

"At  about  half-past  eight,  as  everything  was  burning. 
Baron  Orban  de  Xivry  was  asked  to  go  back  to  his  own 
house.  A  German  officer  had  promised  it  would  be  re- 
spected as  a  Red  Cross  Hospital.  But  countermand  was 
given,  all  the  town  having  to  be  burned  and  bombarded. 
We  then  fled  with  Baron  Orban,  but  I  was  not  allowed  to 
stay  with  him.  He  must  have  been  made  prisoner  at 
the  station." 

(Signed)   Van  Aerschot. 

Peter  Bols,  butter  dealer,  born  in  1873,  of  Aerschot: 

"I  was  present  at  the  death  of  the  Burgomaster  of 
Aerschot.  He  and  also  his  brother  and  his  son  were 
bound  and  lying  on  some  straw. 

"An  officer  of  high  rank  approached  the  Burgomaster 
and  accused  him  of  being  responsible  for  all  that  was 
happening.  Mr.  Tieleman  protested,  taking  his  fellow 
citizens  as  witnesses  of  his  perfect  innocence.     Some  of 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION     93 

them  confirmed  his  words  and  referred  to  his  different 
proclamations.  The  officer  seemed  impressed  by  the  evi- 
dence, but  another  officer  interfered  and  said  that  all  the 
prisoners  had  to  be  killed.  He  had  the  Burgomaster 
as  well  as  his  brother  and  his  son  immediately  executed. 
You  know  the  rest." 

(Signed)  P.  BoLS. 
The  Secretary, 

Antoine  p.  Ernst, 

Orts, 

Henri  Zech. 

For  the  President, 

(Signed)   Goblet  d'Alviella. 


MEETING   OF   THE   29TH   OF  AUGUST,    1914 

Present:  Messrs.  Cooreman,  President;  Count  Goblet 
d'Alviella,  Ryckmanns,  Strauss,  Van  Cutsem,  members; 
Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck  and  Orts,  Secretaries;  Zech, 
Assistant  Secretary. 

Session  begins  at  9  o'clock. 

The  committee  has  added  to  the  official  report  of  the 
meeting  an  extract  from  a  letter  addressed  on  the  28th 
of  August,  1914,  to  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  Commit- 
tee, the  Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck,  by  his  brother, 

Mr.  Vincent  Ernst  de  Bunswyck,  Belgian  Consul  at 
Endebbe  (Uganda),  a  volunteer  in  the  Belgian  Army. 

"After  the  battle  which  took  place  as  far  as  Wechter 
and  in  which  I  participated,  the  regiment  returned  to 
Haecht.  Nothing  but  devastation  is  to  be  found  wher- 
ever the  Germans  have  passed.  The  few  inhabitants  who 
remained  behind  tell  us  of  the  horrors  committed  by  the 
enemy.  At  Wachterzeel,  seven  Germans  consecutively 
violated  one  woman  and  killed  her  afterward.  At  the 
same  place,  they  stripped  a  boy  to  the  waist,  threatened 
to  kill  him;  held  a  revolver  to  his  chest  and  pricked  him 


94  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

with  lances;  they  afterward  chased  him  into  a  field  and 
shot  at  him  without  reaching  their  aim.  It  seems  that 
some  children  were  drowned.  At  Wechter,  I  saw  the  body 
of  a  boy  of  about  12  years  of  age  in  the  water  under  the 
bridge.  I  don't  know  how  it  got  there;  whether  by  acci- 
dent or  whether  a  murder  had  been  committed  by  the 
Germans.  Wherever  they  pass,  they  turn  churches  into 
quarters  for  their  soldiers." 


Conrad  Bernard,  commercial  traveler  at  Herent: 

"On  Tuesday,  August  25th,  I  heard  a  shot  fired  at 
Herent,  and  then  soon  afterward  a  fusillade  took  place 
and  there  were  machine-gun  shots.  It  is  probable  that  the 
shot  was  fired  by  a  German.  On  Wednesday,  August 
26th,  a  German  Captain  forced  all  the  inhabitants  of 
Herent  to  leave  their  houses  and  drove  them  to  the  Town 
Hall.  They  forced  me  to  bring  up  all  the  arms  which 
had  been  deposited  in  the  cellars  of  the  Town  Hall  be- 
hind cases.  All  these  arms  were  loaded  on  a  cart. .  At 
the  station  myself  and  another  person  were  detained  and 
bound  with  ropes.  Stones  were  thrown  at  us  as  we  passed 
among  the  soldiers.  The  soldiers  wanted  to  take  me  for 
the  mayor  of  Herent  and  wanted  to  shoot  me.  Having 
given  a  written  declaration  that  I  was  not  the  mayor,  I 
was  set  free.  I  then  found  the  whole  village  ablaze  and 
a  woman  told  me  that,  as  everybody  had  left  their  houses, 
they  were  set  on  fire." 

After  reading  the  above  the  witness  confirms  it  and 
signs.  (Signed)   Bernard. 

Alphonse  Brusseleers,  peasant,  of  Aerschot: 

"I  was  taken  prisoner  on  Tuesday  and  had  to  go  along 
with  the  Germans.  I  could  not  understand  them,  and 
together  with  two  others,  had  to  show  them  the  way.  I 
then  managed  to  run  away." 

(Signed)  Alfons  Brusselaers. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    95 

Frans  VanderAuwera,  29  years  old,  laborer,  of 
Tamines,  near  Charleroi: 

"The  Germans  came  and  chased  us  out  of  the  house  on 
22nd.  We  (the  men)  were  chased  into  the  Church  and 
then  led  four  by  four  to  the  Square,  where  they  shot  at 
us.  I  let  myself  fall,  and  only  about  80  remained  out 
of  the  four  hundred  there.  Everything  is  pillaged  and 
burnt.  The  civilians  of  Tamines  had  done  no  wrong." 
(Signed)   Frans  Van  der  Auwera. 

Gustave  De  Potter,  28  years  old,  a  miner  of  Tamines: 

"The  Germans/  came  to  Tamines  on  Friday,  August 
21st,  toward  4  o'clock.  We  were  not  allowed  to  take 
along  anything;  they  set  fire  to  everything. 

"When  we  had  taken  to  flight,  they  still  killed  the 
fugitives.  They  set  houses  on  fire  with  some  kind  of 
rocket,  which  blazes  up  at  once.  The  soldiers  carry  them 
along  with  them. 

"I  saw  a  child  of  7  years,  who  was  looking  for  his 
father,  killed,  as  well  as  a  woman  of  56,  who  wanted  to 
return  home."  (Signed)  Gustave  De  Potter. 

The  above  declaration  is  confirmed  by  Joseph  Van 
Loo,  laborer,  of  Tamines. 

(Signed)  Joseph  Van  Loo. 

Louis  Vissenaecken,  57  years  old,  dealer  at  Aerschot: 

"On  Tuesday,  August  18th,  Belgians  had  been  here 
and  on  Wednesday  the  Germans  came.  They  took  us 
along  with  them  and  all  the  men  were  led  to  a  field.  We 
had  to  empty  Our  pockets,  and  had  to  push  on  some 
200  meters  toward  the  Demer.  The  mayor  again  strongly 
warned  us  to  be  very  careful.  Twenty-five  Germans  came 
to  my  house,  and  shot  through  the  windows  and  into  the 
houses.  They  pillaged  my  house  and  killed  six  head  of 
cattle,  but  did  not  pay  for  them." 

(Signed)   B.  Vissenaecken. 

The  above  testimony  is  confirmed  by  his  son  Oscar. 


96  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

De  Bie,  Comptroller  of  State  Railways,  58  years  old, 
living  at  No.  9  Beguinage,  Aerschot,  testifies: 

"The  battle  started  on  Wednesday  morning,  after 
which  all  became  quiet  again.  Toward  7.30  P.  M.  the 
shooting  started  once  more.  The  Germans  claimed  that 
the  Belgians  had  shot  from  the  church  tower  with  a 
machine  gun;  I  know  nothing  about  this.  The  Ger- 
mans then  attacked  our  doors  with  hatchets.  We  came 
out  and  together  with  all  our  neighbors  we  were  made 
prisoners. 

"When  a  certain  number  of  us  were  together,  we  were 
led  to  the  courtyard  of  a  convent,  where  many  women 
were  already  assembled.  From  there  we  were  led  out  of 
town  to  a  spot,  where  the  mayor,  my  brothers  and  my 
sons,  as  well  as  several  civil  and  military  Belgians,  were 
herded  together;  jur  hands  were  tied  together  and  we 
passed  the  night  in  this  way. 

"Next  morning  we  were  placed  in  rows,  and  a  superior 
officer  ordered  one  man  out  of  three  shot.  I  did  not  wit- 
ness the  shooting  of  my  fellow  citizens,  but  it  is  well 
known  that  they  were  put  to  death.  We  were  then  set 
free  and  we  thought  that  all  was  over,  but  this  was  not 
the  case.  Our  troubles  started  again  and  we  were  once 
more  arrested  and  shut  up  in  a  barn,  and  at  last  we  were 
sent  into  the  field  to  bury  those  who  had  been  shot  in  the 
course  of  the  morning.  Then  the  civil  population  was 
obliged  to  dig  holes  and  trenches.  We  were  afterward 
taken  further  away  near  the  wounded  and  captured  Bel- 
gian soldiers.  A  German  cavalryman  dashed  up  like  a 
maniac  and  before  our  very  eyes  wounded  a  Belgian  pris- 
oner with  his  lance.  In  the  evening  we  were  counted  and 
they  threatened  that  if  one  of  us  were  missing  next  day, 
that  there  would  be  more  reprisals.  Thus  Thursday  drew 
to  a  close. 

"We  were  no  longer  troubled  on  Friday  morning.  In 
the  evening,  men,  women  and  children  were  assembled 
before  the  church.  Nine  of  us,  including  my  son  and 
myself,  were  allowed  to  leave,  thanks  to  the  intervention 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    97 

of  an  officer  who  had  lodged  with  one  of  our  neighbors. 
I  left  Aerschot  with  a  German  pass  (safe-conduct).  Up 
to  the  time  we  left,  Saturday,  I  did  not  know  of  any  deeds 
of  violence  perpetrated  on  women." 

(Signed)   De  Bie. 

Mr.  Gielen,  Assistant  King-'s  Attorney  in  Antwerp, 

was  not  an  eye-witness  of  what  occurred  at  Bilsen;  but 
his  brother  and  sister-in-law  left  Bilsen  on  the  17th. 
According  to  their  declaration  the  Germans  behaved  quite 
well  at  first.  On  Sunday,  August  1 6th,  they  took  as  hos- 
tages Messrs.  Gielen,  Deputy ;  Hauben,  Mayor,  and  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  Claes;  Dr.  Thoms  and  Mr.  Verjams, 
Provincial  Councillor,  who  were  released  the  next  day 
when  the  Germans  left  the  town. 

On  Sunday  evening,  August  16th,  four  inhabitants, 
Mr.  Simon  Daenen  among  them,  were  shot  without  the 
slightest  provocation.  It  seems  that  these  atrocities,  com- 
mitted in  every  place,  are  usually  the  result  of  drunken- 
ness on  the  part  of  soldiers,  who  empty  the  cellars  of 
private  residences. 

Mr.    Pierre   Mertens,   lawyer,   living   Rue   Louise, 

passed  some  time  in  Maestricht  lately.  There  he  heard 
from  Mr.  Poswick  that  Mrs.  Poswick,  together  with 
Mr.  Dierckx,  permanent  deputy,  had  been  shot  at 
Canne. 

The  committee  may  hear  him. 

After  reading,  he  confirms  and  signs  his  testimony. 

(Signed)   L.  Gielen. 

Mr.  Gaston  Barbanson,  aged  38,  living  at  Brussels, 
Rue  Defacz,  volunteer  Brigadier  in  the  1st  Regiment  of 
Guides,  testifies: 

"I  belong  to  the  staff  of  the  6th  Army  Division.  On 
the  day  of  the  battle  of  Malines,  on  Monday  the  24th, 
I  was  in  Malines.  ^ 


98  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

"On  the  24th  of  August,  the  Germans  were  chased  from 
Hofstade  and  Sempst  by  Belgian  troops.  In  the  evening 
I  went  with  Count  Fauconnier  to  Sempst,  where  we  re- 
mained for  an  hour  and  a  half,  or  two.  Chevalier  Van- 
dermeulen  and  I  questioned  the  civilians,  and  were  in- 
formed— among  other  things — of  the  following: 

"A  workman  in  the  employ  of  a  bicycle-maker  had 
been  undeservedly  stabbed  with  bayonets,  and  then,  while 
still  living,  thrown  into  his  house.  The  Germans  sat- 
urated him  with  paraffin  and  set  fire  to  his  house.  We 
saw  the  workman's  charred  body. 

"We  were  also  told  that  an  old  man  and  his  son  had 
been  killed  by  saber  thrusts.  The  old  man's  head  was  al- 
most cut  off.  A  woman  whom  they  tried  to  force  to  re- 
main indoors,  but  who  wanted  to  get  out,  was  immedi- 
ately fired  at,  and  shot  in  the  leg.  A  cyclist  who  passed 
some  Germans  was  shot.  According  to  the  declaration  of 
several  people,  it  appears  that,  when  leaving,  the  Ger- 
mans took  about  50  persons  with  them.  A  woman  stated 
that  her  husband  and  three  brothers  had  been  taken  along 
in  this  way  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  and  that  she 
does  not  know  what  became  of  them. 

"A  series  of  other  things  not  quite  so  reliable  were  re- 
lated to  us." 

After  reading  the  above  testimony,  the  witness  confirms 
it  and  signs.  (Signed)   G.  Barbanson. 

The  above  is  confirmed  by  Mr.  Vander  Meulen,  of  the 
Cavalry,  who  signs. 

(Signed)   Vander  Meulen. 

Colonel  Van  Bever,  of  Antwerp,  reports  that  his  son. 
Commanding  Officer  Van  Bever,  related  the  following 
facts : 

"On  August  26th,  1914,  Commanding  Officer  Van 
Bever,  commanding  the  2nci  Company  of  the  2nd  Regi- 
ment of  division  Artillery,  occupied  a  fighting  position  in 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION    99 

the  neighborhood  of  Haecht.  The  battle  became  very 
deadly  and  at  one  time  it  was  noticed  that — contrary  to 
the  rules  of  warfare — German  soldiers  hid  themselves  be- 
hind a  house  near  the  station  and  from  there  fired  upon  our 
soldiers.  As  soon  as  the  commanding  officer  became  aware 
of  this,  he  directed  his  fire  upon  .the  house  which  was 
completely  demolished.  The  bodies  of  German  soldiers 
wearing  their  uniforms  were  dragged  out  of  the  ruins. 

"On  the  26th  of  August,  a  building  near  Wespelaer 
was  seen  bearing  the  flag  of  the  Geneva  International 
Convention. 

"The  commanding  officer  had  misgivings  about  the  en- 
sign, and  sent  an  officer  to  reconnoiter,  who  ascertained 
that  beside  the  flag  were  German  soldiers  with  a  machine 
gun. 

"Useless  to  say  that  the  building  met  with  the  same 
treatment  as  the  house  near  the  Haecht  station." 

(Signed)   G.  Van  Bever. 

Mr.  Edward  Lemmens,  Barrister  at  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, at  Brussels: 

"I  was  driving  a  motor  car  which  was  to  go  to  Holland 
with  the  mail  of  the  Dutch  Legation.  Upon  crossing 
Aerschot  on  Monday  evening,  we  saw  that  the  town  was 
a  heap  of  ruins. 

"At  Hersselt,  the  priest  explained  to  us  that  they  had 
started  by  pillaging  all  the  cellars;  this  explains  the  state 
of  drunkenness  of  several  German  soldiers  whom  we  met. 
A  priest  of  Hersselt  had  been  tak^n  as  hostage;  he  told 
me  that  the  Germans,  wherever  they  went,  claimed  that 
the  civilians  had  fired.  The  affirmation  of  a  single  soldier 
is  sufficient  to  lead  to  reprisals.  It  is  certain  that  not  one 
shot  was  fired  at  Hersselt;  nevertheless  many  men  were 
shot  dead.  At  Sitaert,  near  Moerhout,  the  Germans  found 
bows  and  arrows  in  a  public  house  where  an  archery  was 
practiced.  They  claimed  that  the  arrows  were  poisoned 
and  had  been  intended  for  them.  They  forced  people 
to  sign  a  declaration  to  that  effect,  a  declaration  written  in 


loo  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

German,  after  which  they  shot  both  the  proprietor  and  his 
son." 

After  reading  the  above,  he  confirms  and  signs  his 
declaration.  (Signed)   Ed.  Lemmens. 

Joseph  Collin,  aged  53,  barkeeper  at  Wespelaer: 

"On  Friday,  August  2ist,  1914,  the  Germans  ran- 
sacked the  house  from  top  to  bottom,  including  the  cellar 
with  all  its  contents,  including  the  safe  which  they 
smashed,  afterward  setting  fire  to  the  house.  They  burned 
a  great  many  houses  in  Haecht  and  Wespelaer." 

After  reading  the  above  declaration,  he  confirms  and 
signs  it. 

(Signed)   J.  Collin. 

Josephine  Reyaerts,  aged  26,  of  Campenhout: 

"I  lodged  German  soldiers  for  two  days;  I  fed  them 
and  was  then  locked  up  in  the  cellar  with  my  family.  Af- 
terward we  were  all  led  to  Buecken.  The  priest  of 
Buecken  asked  to  be  allowed  to  accompany  us.  The  Ger- 
mans refused  and  fired  at  him.  I  saw  him  fall.  A  Ger- 
man said  that  one  shot  was  not  enough  for  a  Belgian,  that 
nose,  ears  and  limbs  ought  to  be  cut  off.  I  saw  two  Bel- 
gian soldiers  whom  they  had  made  prisoners  being  ill- 
treated.  They  derided  them  and  compelled  them  to  go 
through  a  great  many  exercises;  made  them  carry  loads, 
and  beat  them  in  such  a  manner  that  they  were  barely  able 
to  crawl  along.  An  officer  told  us  that  the  reason  for  their 
being  so  hard  on  Belgians  was  that  a  German  officer's 
fingers  had  been  cut  off  by  Belgians,  who  wished  to  get 
his  ring. 

"The  Germans  burned  a  house  and  all  the  cattle. 
I  buried  a  civilian  whom  the  Germans  killed." 

After  reading,  the  witness  confirms  and  signs  her  decla- 
ration. 

(Signed)  Josephine  Reyaerts. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  lai 

Mr.  Beruck,  Maritime  Agent  at  Kessel: 

"My  sister,  Mrs.  David,  lives  in  Vise.  A  first  fire  broke 
out  on  the  day  of  the  attack.  Up  to  the  15th,  Mrs.  David 
had  lodged  10  Germans  in  her  house.  On  the  15th,  at  1 1 
P.  M.,  all  of  them  were  drunk.  They  fired  a  shot,  and 
others  began  immediately  to  rush  into  the  houses.  My 
sister  was  dragged  by  the  hair  through  the  garret.  There 
was  an  air-hole  in  the  cellar.  They  claimed  that  the  shot 
had  been  fired  through  there.  The  Germans  who  had 
lodged  there  said,  'Nein^  gute  Leute'  ('No,  good  peo- 
ple.') The  women  were  locked  in  the  cellar  of  St.  Hade- 
lin  College;  the  remainder  of  Vise  was  burnt.  The  men 
were  sent  to  Germany,  as  prisoners  of  war.  The  women 
were  then  chased  out  of  the  town  without  being  allowed 
to  dress  themselves.  Mrs.  David  lives  in  Lierre  with  her 
parents." 

(Signed)  Fernand  Beruck. 


The  British  Consul  at  Antwerp  sends  the  following 
declaration,  transmitted  to  him  by  his  son.  This  the 
committee  has  decided  to  annex  to  its  ofticial  report. 

British  Consulate  General  for  Belgium, 

Antwerp,  August  24th,  1914. 

"In  a  small  village  which  has  been  entirely  destroyed  by 
fire,  situated  between  the  railway  viaduct  of  Antwerp  and 
Elewyt,  I  witnessed  the  following  sight  during  the  last 
attack  which  was  made  on  the  26th  of  August,  1914.  In 
a  small  farm  an  old  man  was  attached  by  the  arms  to  the 
rafter  of  the  roof  of  his  house.  The  body  was  quite 
charred.  Only  the  head,  arms  and  feet  were  intact.  Fur- 
ther on,  a  second  case :  A  little  boy,  of  about  15  years  of 
age,  had  his  hands  tied  behind  his  back,  and  the  body  was 
riddled  with  stabs  of  German  bayonets.  These  are  atro- 
cious cases.     Several  dead  bodies  were  found,  as  if  they 


1.02  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

had  been  killed  while  begging  pardon,  the  arms  uplifted 
and  the  hands  joined. 

"It  is  true,  so  help  me  God." 

(Signed)  Andrew  Courtois, 
2nd  Grenadiers  of  Brussels. 
Written  and  signed  on  oath  in  my  presence. 

(Signed)  Edward  A.  Hertslet, 
(Son  of  Sir  Cecil  Hertslet,  British  Consul  General, 

Chaplain  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.) 

This  report  signed  by  The  President : 
The  Secretaries:  Cooreman. 

Orts, 

Ernst  de  Bunswyck. 


MEETING  OF  29TH  AUGUST. 

Afternoon  Session. 

Present:  Messrs.  Cooreman,  President;  Strauss,  Van 
Cutsem,  Count  Goblet  d'Alviella,  Chevalier  Ernst  de 
Bunswyck,  Orts,  Secretaries ;  Zech,  Assistant  Secretary. 

The  President  takes  the  chair  at  3  o'clock. 

Note  of  Mr.  de  X on  the  Hersselt  Atrocities. 

[The  name  of  this  gentleman  is  withheld  on  account  of 
the  fact  that  his  testimony  might  bring  upon  him  reprisals 
from  the  Germans.] 

"Hersselt,  near  Aerschot  (Province  of  Antwerp,  dis- 
trict of  Westerloo),  is  again  now  partially  occupied  by 
the  German  troops.  Therefore  only  a  brief  inquiry  was 
possible.    It  proved  the  following  facts : 

"On  Tuesday,  18th  August,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
afternoon,  Uhlans  coming  from  the  direction  of  Aerschot 
entered  the  territory  of  Hersselt.  Their  advance  guard, 
of  about  50  men,  was  followed  by  more  considerable 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  103 

forces  preceding  an  army  corps  which  passed  through 
the  center  of  the  village  on  Wednesday  between  2.30  and 
10.30  A.  M.  marching  to  Aerschot. 

"The  presence  of  several  officers  of  high  rank  in  the 
advance  guard,  namely,  of  General  von  Stamfort,  did  not 
prevent  the  soldiers  from  looting  and  murdering.  In 
Hersselt  24  inhabitants  were  killed,  32  farms  and  houses, 
and  two  mills  were  burned  down.  The  soldiers  who  com- 
mitted those  crimes  had  plundered  many  liquor  shops; 
several  of  them  were  visibly  drunk. 

"A  few  minutes  after  their  arrival  at  Hersselt,  the 
Uhlans  began  to  fire  in  all  directions  without  any  plausi- 
ble reason.  One  of  them  fell;  he  must  certainly  have 
been  wounded  by  his  comrades,  because  all  the  evidence 
seemed  to  prove  that  no  inhabitant  used  a  rifle. 

"Men,  women  and  children  were  then  immediately  ar- 
rested. The  burgomaster  and  his  clerk  were  shut  up  in 
the  municipal  building. 

"The  women  and  children  were  released  shortly  after; 
the  men,  98  in  all,  were  kept  in  the  chancel  of  the  new 
church  and  had  to  stay  there,  under  most  severe  pen- 
alty, till  the  next  morning. 

"A  certain  number  of  people,  who  were  running  away, 
were  shot  down,  namely :  Leon  Wyns,  aged  82 ;  Louis  van 
Uytsel,  30;  Louis  Verbeeck,  45;  Joseph  van  de  Velde,  ^^; 
Leonard  van  Uytsel,  65,  and  his  two  daughters,  the  eldest 
aged  30,  the  youngest  25;  Smolders,  63;  Joseph  Drau- 
lans,  30,  and  his  brother  Charles,  24,  who  had  hidden 
under  a  shed,  were  shot  point  blank  before  the  eyes  of 
their  father. 

"Constant  Branders,  Laermans-Corten,  and  Ed  Van 
Thielen  were  shot  in  the  village. 

"Jean  van  der  Bosch  was  found  charred  in  his  bed. 
Joseph  van  Uystel,  who  had  to  go  and  fetch  oats  for  the 
horses,  was  shot  after  having  obeyed. 

"The  Uhlans  said  to  everyone:  'Zie  haben  geshossen' 
(you  have  been  shooting). 

"The  German  authorities  certainly  did  not  give  them- 


104  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

selves  the  trouble  to  make  an  inquiry  on  the  death  of  the 
Uhlan.  The  case  was  only  a  pretext  for  the  atrocities 
committed  in  the  center  of  the  village,  as  the  Uhlans  be- 
gan firing  as  soon  as  they  entered  our  territory.  The  fol- 
lowing deeds  were  accomplished  before  the  Uhlan's  death : 

"i.  Burning  the  De  Bel  farm,  belonging  to  Coun- 
tesse  Jeanne  de  Merode,  and  another  one  near  the  Aver- 
bode  Abbey. 

"2.  Firing  on  the  inhabitants  of  those  farms,  who  were 
running  away.    Emmanuel  van  den  Brande  was  killed. 

"3.     Joseph  Kennes  shot. 

"4.     Joseph  Wauters  shot  in  his  house. 

"5.  In  a  field  near  the  road,  Mrs.  van  Opstal,  who  had 
at  her  side  her  three-year-old  baby,  was  killed.  It  is 
proved  that  she  was  first  raped. 

"6.  Along  the  road  about  30  farms  and  houses  were 
burned.  The  damage  can  be  valued  at  about  400,000 
francs  (about  $80,000). 

"7.  The  village  mill  was  burned.  Another  one,  lo- 
cated in  the  neighborhood  of  Hersselt,  at  Bergomprey, 
was  also  burned  by  Uhlans  coming  from  Westerloo.  The 
miller  and  his  workman  were  killed. 

"Those  atrocities  were  committed  with  the  approval 
of  the  military  chief.  A  man  saw  General  von  Stamfort 
pass  his  hands  over  his  forehead  saying:  'What  I  had 
to  do  yesterday  shall  remain  a  stain  on  my  life;  but  my 
men  were  shot  at.'  When  somebody  remarked  that  the 
firing  began  before  the  Germans  were  even  in  the  village, 
the  General  got  in  a  passion. 

"The  same  man  says  that  on  Saturday,  29th,  a  band 
of  Uhlans  coming  from  Aerschot  surrounded  the  villages 
of  Ramsel,  Houtvenne,  Boischot  and  Westmerbeek. 
Many  people,  among  them  several  priests,  were  arrested. 
The  Germans  then  entered  the  private  houses,  all  the  able 
men  were  pushed  out,  hands  up,  and  had  to  march  before 
the  Uhlans'  horses  in  the  direction  of  Heyst-op-den-Berg 
and  Aerschot  where  I  heard  they  would  be  compelled  to 
dig  trenches. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  105 

"The  Uhlans  took  with  them  provisions,  horses  and 


Maurice  Coenraets,  corporal  30th  Infantry,  1st  B. 
4th  C. 

"I  was  wounded  in  the  fight  of  Cognelee  (Namur). 
The  day  the  Germans  entered  Namur  I  was  lying  at  the 
Bribosia  Hospital  with  some  Belgian,  French  and  Ger- 
man wounded.  I  wanted  to  get  away,  but  Dr.  Bribosia 
and  a  German  officer  told  me  that  we  had  all  better  stay 
and  that  no  harm  should  be  done  to  us. 

"The  next  day  the  Germans  who  had  been  made  prison- 
ers were  removed,  and  a  heavy  fusillade  began  to  be 
directed  against  the  hospital.  I  hid  in  the  cellar.  I  was 
able  to  get  out,  and,  with  the  help  of  a  nun,  I  passed 
through  a  small  door  into  a  neighboring  house. 

"I  saw  Belgian  wounded  being  shot  down  as  quickly 
as  they  came  out  of  the  hospital.  A  big  Red  Cross  flag 
was  flying  on  the  building.  The  Germans  set  the  hospital 
on  fire;  they  then  shot  the  Belgian  and  French  wounded." 

(Signed)  M.  Coenraets. 

Joseph  Declerck,  45,  chief  clerk  of  the  District 
Commissioner  of  Louvain. 

"I  was  living  with  my  family  in  the  vicinity  of  Lou- 
vain, 95  rue  du  Chemin  de  Fer,  at  Kessel-loo.  At  first 
news  of  the  enemy's  arrival  we  went  back  to  town,  rue  du 
Chene.     The  Germans  entered  in  perfect  order. 

"The  next  day,  Thursday,  I  went  to  my  villa  which 
was  occupied  by  officers  and  soldiers  belonging  I  believe  to 
the  flying  corps.  They  behaved  very  well;  we  prepared 
them  their  meal.  On  Friday,  Lieutenant  Pf abler  came 
to  rue  du  Chene.    He  wanted  a  bath. 

"Saturday  morning  the  aviators  left;  my  two  brothers 
went  to  the  villa  to  protect  it  against  looters.  Everybody 
was  uneasy,  knowing  what  had  happened  at  Tongres.  We 
feared  the  passage  of  the  stragglers. 


io6  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

"Nothing  special  occurred  on  the  26th. 

"I  heard  then  the  cannon;  the  arrival  of  the  French 
was  announced.  My  brothers  went  to  guard  the  villa. 
All  the  day  troops  arrived  by  rail.  At  about  8  o'clock 
shots  were  heard  in  rue  du  Chene  and  the  vicinity.  A 
clamor  broke  out;  the  noise  lasted  about  twenty  minutes, 
after  that  shots  were  again  heard  now  and  again.  From 
the  garret  I  saw  fire  blazing  in  the  direction  of  the  rue  de 
Savoy;  another  fire  broke  out  in  another  quarter;  a  third 
one  showed  itself  near  the  University  buildings. 

"At  daybreak  I  was  able  to  see  that  the  University 
building  was  burning;  a  student  whom  I  knew  then  came 
to  tell  us  it  was  time  to  flee,  the  whole  town  was  to  be 
destroyed.  The  Germans,  I  learned,  were  plundering  the 
shops. 

"Wanting  a  pass,  I  went  to  the  Town  Hall,  where  the 
Staff  was,  and  received  a  pass  from  some  officers.  I  left 
my  house  with  my  family  by  the  deserted  streets.  In  the 
Place  du  Peuple,  all  was  burning.  I  saw  that  some  fight- 
ing had  taken  place  in  the  rue  des  Joyeuses  Entrees;  the 
front  of  the  houses  bore  marks  of  the  firing.  A  German 
soldier  was  lying  dead  and  helmets  were  thrown  on  the 
ground.  Where  I  was  the  houses  were  intact.  I  don't 
know  what  troops  had  been  engaged.  In  the  Chaussee  de 
Tirlemont,  the  houses  were  preserved,  but  all  was  on 
fire  above  the  bridge,  at  Kessel-loo.  We  did  not  dare 
continue  and  took  the  Boulevard  de  Tirlemont;  in  the 
outside  parts  of  this,  all  the  houses — I  have  one  there — 
were  burning  one  after  the  other. 

"Near  the  station,  the  Germans  had  dug  a  trench.  I 
think  I  saw  a  dead  German  soldier.  At  the  station,  I 
was  separated  from  the  women  of  my  family.  Soldiers 
conducted  me  via  the  canal  and  the  Chaussee  de  Malines 
to  the  '1830  Memorial  Chapel.'  A  little  further  we 
stopped  in  a  field  and  received  some  food. 

"Far  off,  near  the  Porte  de  Diest,  I  thought  I  heard  the 
report  of  a  fusillade.  The  soldiers  seemed  to  expect  an 
attack.    They  told  us  that  we  were  hostages  and  that  we 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  107 

should  be  shot  if  inhabitants  fired  on  them.  Showing  us 
the  burning  houses,  they  called  our  attention  to  the  firing 
going  on;  but  the  reports  we  heard  were  only  those  of 
the  cartridges  exploding  in  the  fire. 

"At  Bueken  we  were  kept  in  the  fields,  and  set  free  the 
next  day. 

"I  affirm  I  saw  the  University  building  burning,  the 
library  is  there,  as  we  all  know;  but  I  could  not  say  if 
that  particular  wing  was  touched  or  not. 

"Soldiers  said  that  the  fate  of  Louvain  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  civilians  had  fired  on  their  troops.  They  are 
particularly  implacable  toward  the  priests;  who,  they  say, 
preach  against  them.  They  also  pretend  not  to  recognize 
the  belligerent  character  of  the  Civic  Guard." 

(Signed)  J.  Declerck. 

Baron  Alphonse  de  Gruben,  48,  Burgomaster  of  Bois  • 
schot. 

"On  the  19th,  I  gave  order  to  the  Civic  Guard  of  Bois- 
schot  to  requisition  in  every  house  all  the  arms  that  could 
be  found,  rifles,  pistols,  etc.  I  am  certain  that  none  were 
left;  the  Civic  Guard  kept  theirs,  but  when  the  Germans 
came  they  put  them  down,  the  enemy  being  in  superior 
force.    No  guard  fired  a  single  shot. 

"Three  Uhlans  were  killed  the  18th  or  the  19th  by  sol- 
diers; five  or  six  days  ago  a  fourth  one  was  shot  by  a 
soldier  posted  behind  the  mill.  A  German  soldier  said  to 
the  alderman,  Mr.  Naets :  'You  shall  pay  for  that.'  The 
fact  was  reported  to  me  by  Medard  Peeters,  of  Boisschot, 
living  now  with  a  tinman,  rue  du  Commerce.  No  vio- 
lence was  done  to  us  before  the  death  of  the  fourth  Uhlan. 
My  coachman,  who  is  at  Wyneghem,  will  be  able  to  give 
more  details."  (Signed)   Baron  de  Gruben. 

De  Coninck,  Henri,  servant  of  Baron  de  Gruben. 

"Three  Uhlans  were  killed  at  Boisschot  on  the  19th 
and  a  fourth  one  was  shot  the  26th,  near  the  mill.  I 
heard  people  say  that  this  one  had  been  killed  by  ^civilian 


io8  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

hidden  in  the  mill  and  I  was  told  that  a  German  had 
said  to  Alderman  Naets :    'You  shall  pay  for  that.' 

''Yesterday,  28th  August,  I  saw  many  Germans  arriv- 
ing. I  hid  myself  in  a  ditch  near  the  castle.  I  saw  the 
Germans  searching  with  their  bayonets  to  see  if  anybody 
was  hidden  in  the  briars. 

"I  was  behind  the  castle;  people  hidden  in  front  told 
me  they  saw  the  Germans  opening  the  shutters.  They 
heard  them  breaking  the  furniture  inside.  They  took 
away  with  them  the  three  horses  which  were  in  the 
stables. 

"I  left  Boisschot  yesterday  at  7.30  o'clock.  The  Ger- 
mans said  they  would  not  molest  the  women.  They  ar- 
rested the  men  together  with  the  curate  and  hi^  vicar, 
some  of  them  were  bound.  Those  details  were  given  me 
by  people  who  came  with  me  to  Antwerp." 

(Signed)   De  Connick  Henri. 

General  Deruette,  Aide  de  Camp  to  the  King,  in  com- 
mand of  the  20th  Brigade. 

"On  the  25th  of  August,  we  passed  to  the  north  of 
Hofstade.  Just  as  we  were  picking  up  our  dead,  I  saw 
lying  on  a  stretcher  the  body  of  a  woman  stabbed  by  a 
bayonet.  I  also  saw  the  body  of  a  boy  who  had  been 
killed  as  he  was  kneeling  down,  asking  mercy.  The 
corpse  had  kept  that  position  under  the  sheet  that  was 
over  it.  The  boy  was  aged  15  or  16.  The  two  bodies 
were  put  in  a  dance  hall.  The  next  day,  as  they 
were  already  smelling  and  as  the  Burgomaster  had  beeii§ 
taken  as  hostage,  I  sent  them  to  the  vicar  of  Hofstade 
who  identified  them  and  buried  them." 

(Signed)   Deruette. 

Dr.  Burger,  Surgeon  of  the  2d  Regiment  of  Car- 
bineers. 

"I  saw  two  bodies,  a  woman  of  40  or  50,  and  a  boy 
of  15  or  16,  but  I  was  not  able  to  see  the  wounds.  I  was 
told  the  victims  bore  bayonet  wounds." 

(Signed)   Burger. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  109 

Colonel  Biebuyck,  in  command  of  the  2nd  Carbineers. 

"On  Wednesday,  26th  August,  1914,  I  was  ready  for 
action  to  the  south  of  Schippelat,  a  hamlet  near  Hof- 
stade.  I  held  that  position  as  late  as  5  p.  m.,  when  I 
was  compelled  to  retire.  The  position  was  occupied  by 
the  Germans.  From  a  few  hundred  meters  distance,  I 
saw  several  fires  lit  by  the  Germans,  a  few  farm  houses 
were  standing  there,  and  I  believe  that  it  was  these  the 
enemy  destroyed.  Fire  was  systematically  set  to  all. 
The  Germans  must  have  some  special  appliance  for  that 
purpose,  because  only  a  few  minutes  elapsed  between  our 
departure  and  the  beginning  of  the  fire. 

"I  confirm  the  testimony  of  General  De  Ruette  that 
was  read  to  me."  (Signed)   Biebuyck. 

"On  my  right,  German  columns  attacking  me  bore 
white  flags.  My  men  took  no  notice  of  it,  considering 
their  attitude  and  the  military  situation." 

(Signed)   Bubruyck. 

Alberic  Rolin,  volunteer  in  the  Artillery  of  the  20th 
Brigade,  103rd  Battery,  certifies  he  saw  between  Ma- 
lines  and  Hofstade,  on  Tuesday,  25th  of  August,  in  the 
afternoon,  the  body  of  a  woman  of  about  40  with  a 
baby  of  five  years  pinned  to  the  ground  by  six  bay- 
onets. (Signed)   Rolin. 

The  Commission  joins  to  its  proceedings  the  declara- 
tion of  Mr.  van  Aerschot  received  by  one  of  the  Secre- 
taries, Chevalier  Ernst  de  Bunswyck. 

The  President, 

(Signed)   Cooreman. 

The  Secretaries: 

(Signed)   Ernst  de  Bunswyck. 

(Signed)   Orts. 
The  Assistant  Secretary, 

(Signed)  Zech. 


no  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Mr.  van  Aerschot  (Felix),  manufacturer,  aged  44, 
living  at  Louvain  in  Rue  Leopold. 

"The  Germans  made  their  entry  into  Louvain  on  the 
i8th  of  August;  they  immediately  requisitioned  lodg- 
ings and  food;  they  broke  open  with  axes  the  doors  of  all 
the  empty  houses  and  looted  them  completely,  commit- 
ting all  kinds  of  excesses.  They  then  went  to  the  private 
banks,  the  National  Bank,  the  Bank  de  la  Dyle,  the 
Popular  Bank  and  took  away  the  cash.  They  took  hos- 
tages, namely,  Mr.  Colins,  Burgomaster;  Senator  van 
der  Helen,  and  Mr.  Schmidt,  alderman.  These  were  re- 
leased two  days  later,  but  two  others  were  taken,  Mr. 
de  Faudeur,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Mr.  Hermans 
Ansloos,  substitute  Senator;  on  the  2ist  the  Dean  of 
Louvain  and  Mgr.  Coenraets,  Vice-Rector  of  the  Uni- 
versity, were  added  to  them. 

"For  the  rest,  all  was  calm  till  the  afternoon  of 
August  25th,  the  second  day  of  the  battle  round  Malines. 
I  had  in  my  house  a  captain  and  nine  soldiers.  At  7 
o'clock  the  news  came  to  them  that  the  enemy  was  near 
the  town;  they  equipped  themselves  and  got  ready  to 
leave.  Several  were  crying,  we  comforted  them,  and 
gave  them  food  and  drink. 

"Just  at  8  o'clock  we  heard  firing  in  the  direction  of 
the  Place  du  Peuple  where  all  the  cavalry  was  assembled. 
The  train,  which  was  in  Rue  Leopold,  turned  and  left  full 
speed  in  the  direction  of  the  station.  I  was  on  the  door- 
step, and  could  hear  the  whistle  of  the  bullets  coming 
from  the  Place  du  Peuple.  A  heavy  fusillade  began,  and 
cavalry  charges  took  place  in  the  direction  of  the  station, 
near  which  the  cavalry  must  have  fallen  upon  the  Ger- 
mans repulsed  from  Malines  by  the  Belgians. 

"From  that  moment  a  fearful  cannonade  began,  we 
heard  the  noise  of  the  machine  guns  and  could  see  the 
shrapnel  falling  in  the  center  of  the  town.  We  went 
down  to  the  cellar.  Fusillade  and  bombardment  ceased 
at  about  10  o'clock;  several  houses  had  suffered;  the 
Germans  then  began  to  set  all  Louvain  on  fire,  by  throw- 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  ill 

ing  shrapnel  and  grenades  in  every  direction.  When  the 
fire  seemed  to  burn  slowly  the  soldiers  entered  the  houses 
and  made  it  blaze.  It  lasted  all  night.  On  Thursday, 
27th,  in  the  morning,  I  left  my  house  with  my  wife,  my 
child,  my  mother,  my  father-in-law  and  a  cousin,  as  it 
was  about  to  be  attacked  by  the  flames;  my  street,  Rue 
Leopold,  was  already  partly  destroyed.  We  arrived  at 
the  house  of  Baron  Orban  de  Xivry  in  Rue  de  la  Station. 
He  advised  us  to  leave  Louvain  with  him  and  members 
of  the  Red  Cross,  a  German  officer  having  just  an- 
nounced to  him  that  the  whole  city  would  be  destroyed. 
We  all  went  out  and  saw  the  entire  street  in  a  blaze. 
The  Town  Hall  was  then  intact,  but  the  University 
building,  containing  the  library,  must  have  been  de- 
stroyed in  the  night.  Eye-witnesses  told  me  that  the 
Cathedral  of  St.  Peter  had  been  set  on  fire.  The  blaze 
was  so  great  that,  although  we  were  in  the  middle  of 
the  Rue  de  la  Station,  we  had  to  run,  so  as  not  to  be 
roasted.  On  leaving  the  house  a  German  officer  separated 
us  into  two  groups.  Baron  Orban  de  Xivry's  family  and 
the  members  of  the  Red  Cross  were  sent  directly  to  the 
Station  by  the  Rue  de  la  Station;  my  family  was  sent 
to  the  same  place  by  the  Rue  Marie  Therese. 

"At  the  Place  de  la  Station  all  the  houses  were  on  fire. 
One  could  smell  a  horrible  scent  of  charred  flesh.  After 
some  discussion  we  were  grouped  together  in  the  Place, 
where  ten  or  fifteen  bodies  of  dead  civilians  were  lying. 
The  soldiery  mocked  us;  the  husbands  were  separated 
from  their  wives  and  children  without  being  allowed  to 
say  farewell.  Baron  Orban's  group  was  sent  to  Ger- 
many by  rail. 

"The  deserted  women  were  assembled  in  front  of  the 
tram  platform.  They  did  not  seem  to  be  under  guard. 
The  men  were  dragged  in  front  of  some  infantry;  they 
were  searched,  hands  up,  and  several  were  robbed;  we 
were  then  sent  to  the  Mount  Ceaser  at  half  an  hour's  dis- 
tance and  to  Herent,  a  neighboring  village  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Malines.      We   remained   several   hours   in   the 


112  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

open  country.  We  heard  firing  and  the  bullets  whistled 
past  our  ears.     We  were  ordered  to  lie  down. 

"About  3  P.  M.,  after  having  received  a  bit  of  black 
bread  and  some  rice,  we  were  sent  along  the  highway 
leading  to  Malines,  till  half  way  to  Campenhout.  All 
the  villages  along  the  road  were  burning;  we  had  some- 
times to  run  so  as  not  to  be  touched  by  the  flames.  At 
the  doors  of  the  houses,  charred  bodies  were  lying.  A 
full  hour's  walk  from  Campenhout  we  stopped;  the  Ger- 
mans tied  our  arms  behind  our  backs,  saying  we  were  go- 
ing to  be  shot.  There  were  74  of  us;  we  stayed  three 
quarters  of  an  hour  in  a  trench,  a  company  in  front  and 
one  behind  us;  but  an  alarm  having  been  given  we  had 
to  continue  our  march  toward  Campenhout.  Along  the 
road  we  saw  only  burning  farms  and  cattle  tearing 
about. 

"We  arrived  at  about  7  P.  M.  at  Campenhout  which 
was  intact;  the  church  was  immediately  occupied  by  the 
Germans  and  we  were  shut  up  inside  for  the  night.  Two 
priests,  an  American  and  a  Spaniard,  were  with  us  and 
suffered  the  same  ill-treatment.  At  4  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  an  officer  formally  invited  those  who  wanted 
to  go  to  confession  to  lose  no  time  in  doing  so,  as  our 
execution  was  to  take  place  half  an  hour  later.  The 
Spanish  and  the  American  priests  were  still  with  us. 

"At  half  past  four  we  were  told  that  the  prisoners 
taken  at  Louvain  were  free  and  we  received  a  pass  for 
Louvain.  The  two  priests  were  not  with  us  at  that 
moment  and  I  don't  know  what  became  of  them;  per- 
haps they  went  to  the  presbytery. 

"A  few  kilometers  outside  Louvain  we  met  a  German 
brigade.  The  commander  took  away  our  pass  and  made 
us  prisoners  again. 

"We  were  told  that  we  were  going  to  be  sent  before 
the  forts  of  Antwerp  to  taste  Belgian  fire.  We  had  to 
march  at  the  head  of  the  Germans,  in  the  direction  of 
Malines;  all  the  way  we  were  insulted,  beaten,  spit  at, 
threatened  with  death. 


PROCEEDINGS  Of  THE  COMMISSION  113 

''When  we  got  back  to  Campenhout,  the  general  who 
had  given  us  our  pass  in  the  morning  met  us.  We  asked 
him  to  release  us;  it  was  done,  and  we  left  on  condition 
to  remain  together  as  far  as  the  last  German  outpost, 
near  Malines.  Different  bands  joined  us  on  the  way. 
A  woman,  who  was  with  one  of  them,  was  delivered  on 
the  road." 

(Signed)   Van  Aerschot. 
The  Secretary, 

(Signed)   Chevalier  Ernst   de    Bunswyck. 

An  honorable  gentleman  personally  known  by  the 
members  of  the  Commission  of  Inquiry  declares:  (The 
name  is  withheld  on  account  of  the  fact  that  his  testi- 
mony might  bring  upon  him  reprisals  from  the  Ger- 
mans.) 

"At  the  request  of  the  Countess  de  Bethune,  who 
wanted  news  of  her  father,  of  whom  she  had  heard  noth- 
ing for  several  days,  I  went  this  morning  to  Louvain 
via  Tervueren,  Weert  St.  George,  Heverle.  From  Weert 
St.  George,  I  only  saw  destroyed  villages  and  terror- 
stricken  peasants  lifting  their  arms  in  the  air  in  sign  of 
mercy.  All  the  houses  had  a  white  flag  flying,  even 
those  that  were  burning,  and  one  could  see  the  rag  hang- 
ing on  the  ruins. 

"At  Weert  St.  George  I  asked  the  reason  of  the 
German  atrocities ;  the  inhabitants  said  categorically  that 
none  of  them  had  shot,  all  the  firearms  having  been  laid 
down;  but  the  Germans  had  punished  them  because  a 
Belgian  gendarme  had  killed  a  Uhlan. 

"The  inhabitants  remaining  at  Louvain  took  refuge  in 
the  borough  of  Heverle,  which  is  crowded,  the  people 
having  been  chased  from  the  town  by  the  soldiers  and 
the  fire. 

"The  fire  began  a  little  beyond  the  American  College, 
all  the  city  is  destroyed,  except  the  Station  and  the 
Town  Hall.  The  fire  was  still  burning  to-day,  and  far 
from  stopping  it,  the  Germans  seemed  to  be  keeping  it 


114  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

up  by  throwing  straw  into  the  blaze,  as  I  saw  them  do 
in  a  street  near  the  Town  Hall.  The  Cathedral,  the  the- 
ater, the  University  Library  are  destroyed;  Louvain  is 
like  an  old  ruined  city,  in  which  one  can  see  only  drunken 
soldiers,  carrying  bottles  of  wine  and  spirits;  the  officers 
themselves  are  sitting  on  chairs  and  drinking  like  their 
men.  In  the  streets,  swollen  bodies  of  dead  horses  are 
growing  putrid  in  the  sun  and  the  stench  of  the  fire  and 
of  the  dead  is  such  that  I  kept  it  with  me  till  my  motor- 
car was  back  at  Brussels."       (Dated  30th  August,  1914.) 


APPENDIX    . 

(A)  Cables   received   by   the   Belgian  Minister  at 

Washington 

I.      (Dated  September  8,  1914.) 
II.      (Dated  September    15,    1914.) 

(B)  Speech  delivered  by  His  Excellency  Mr.  Wood- 
row  Wilson,  President  of  the  United  States,  in  re- 
sponse to  the  address  by  His  Excellency  Mr.  Carton 
de  Wiart,  Special  Envoy  of  His  Majesty  the  King 
of  the  Belgians,  Chief  of  the  Belgian  Delegation, 
in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Bryan,  Secretary  of  State, 
and  of  Mr.  Havenith,  Belgian  Minister  at  Wash- 
ington. 


I.    Cable  of  September  8, 1914 

You  have  received  the  Reports  of  the  Commission, 
dated  August  25th  and  31st.  Since  then  a  great  many 
localities  situated  in  the  Vilvorde-Malines-Louvain  tri- 
angle, an  extremely  fertile  and  densely  populated  region, 
have  been  partially  pillaged  and  completely  burnt.  The 
population  is  dispersed,  and  a  number  of  inhabitants, 
among  which  are  women  and  children,  were  arrested  and 
shot  without  trial,  and  without  apparent  motive,  except 
the  desire  to  inspire  terror.  This  is  especially  the  case  in 
Sempst,  Weerde,  Elewys,  Hofstade,  Wespelaer,  Wilsele, 
Buecken,  Eppeghem,  Waekerseel,  Botselaer,  Werchter, 
Thildonck,  Boort-Meerbeek,  Houthem,  Tremeloo,  Tistelt, 
Gelrode  and  Herelt.  At  Wavre,  where  the  inhabitants 
were  unable  to  pay  a  levy  of  three  millions,  56  houses 
were  burnt.  The  largest  part  of  Cortenberg  was  burnt. 
To  excuse  these  attacks,  the  Germans  allege  that  an  army 
of  civilians  had  resisted  them.  According  to  trustworthy 
testimony,  no  provocation  has  been  proven  at  Vise,  Aer- 
schot,  Louvain,  Wavre,  and  in  the  localities  situated  in 
the  Malines-Louvain-Vilvorde  triangle,  to  which  fire  was 
set,  and  the  inhabitants  massacred  several  days  after  the 
German  occupation. 

(Signed)  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 


II.    Cable  of  September  15,  1914 

Inform  the  Belgian  Mission  that  the  Commission  of 
Inquiry  continues  to  report  ruins,  devastation  and  pillage, 
methodically  executed  by  German  troops  in  localities  oc- 
cupied by  them.  The  city  of  Termonde  was  destroyed 
without  any  hostile  participation  on  the  part  of  givilians. 

117 


ii8  THE  CASE  OF  BELGIUM 

Out  of  1,400  houses  295  are  still  standing;  others  set  on 
fire  and  razed  to  the  ground  by  the  Germans  after  their 
entrance  into  the  city.  Several  civilians  were  imprisoned 
and  executed  with  bayonets  in  the  presence  of  relatives 
and  fellow-citizens.  At  Melle,  9  civilians  were  killed, 
and  45  properties  set  on  fire  without  reason.  Re-occupa- 
tion of  Aerschot  by  the  Belgian  army  reveals  disastrous 
deeds.  Homes  which  were  not  burnt  were  sacked  and 
pillaged.  On  September  6th,  before  the  return  of  Belgian 
troops,  400  civilians,  among  whom  were  30  clergymen, 
were  locked  up,  since  August  30th,  in  the  church,  with- 
out food,  and  carried  off  and  sent  to  parts  unknown.  Lo- 
calities in  the  neighborhood  completely  destroyed.  Every- 
where along  the  road  are  corpses  of  civilians;  women 
and  young  girls,  violated.    Systematic  pillage. 

(Signed)  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 


REPLY    OF    PRESIDENT    WILSON 

E  X  cell  en  cy,  G  en  tlem  en: 

Permit  me  to  say  with  what  sincere  pleasure  I  receive 
you  as  representatives  of  the  King  of  the  Belgians^  a 
people  for  whom  the  people  of  the  United  States  feel  so 
strong  a  friendship  and  admiration^  a  King  for  whom 
they  entertain  so  sincere  a  respect;  and  to  express  my  hope 
that  we  may  have  many  opportunities  of  earning  and 
deserving  their  regard.  You  are  not  mistaken  in  believ- 
ing that  the  people  of  this  country  love  justice^  seek  the 
true  paths  of  progress^  and  have  a  passionate  regard  for 
the  rights  of  humanity.  It  is  a  matter  of  profound  pride 
to  me  that  I  am  permitted  for  a  time  to  represent  such 
a  people  and  to  he  their  spokesinan^  and  I  am  honored  that 
your  King  should  have  turned  to  me  in  time  of  distress 
as  to  one  who  would  wish  on  behalf  of  the  people  he 
represents  to  consider  the  claims  to  the  impartial  sympa- 
thy of  mankind  of  a  nation  which  deems  itself  wronged. 

I  thank  you  for  the  document  you  have  put  in  my 
hands  containing  the  result  of  an  investigation  made  by 
a  judicial  committee  appointed  by  the  Belgian  Govern- 
ment to  look  into  the  matter  of  which  you  have  come  to 
speak.  It  shall  have  my  most  attentive  perusal  and  my 
most  thoughtful  consideration. 

You  will^  I  am  sure^  not  expect  me  to  say  more.  Pres- 
ently^ I  pray  God  very  soon,  this  war  will  be  over.  The 
day  of  accounting  will  then  come  when  I  take  it  for 
granted  the  nations  of  Europe  will  assemble  to  determine 
a  settlefnent.  Where  wrongs  have  been  committed,  their 
consequences  and  the  relative  responsibility  involved  will 
be  assessed.  The  nations  of  the  world  have  fortunately 
by  agreement  made  a  plan  for  such  a  reckoning  and  settle- 
ment.    What  such  a  plan  cannot  compass  the  opinion  of 

119 


120  THE    CASE    OF    BELGIUM 

mankind^  the  final  arbiter  in  all  such  matters^  will  sup- 
ply. It  would  be  unwise^  it  would  be  premature^  for  a 
single  government^  however  fortunately  separated  from 
the  present  struggle^  it  would  even  be  inconsistent  with 
the  neutral  position  of  any  nation  which  like  this  has  no 
part  in  the  contest^  to  form  or  express  a  final  judgment. 
I  need  not  assure  you  that  this  conclusion^  in  which  I 
instinctively  feel  that  you  will  yourselves  concur^  is 
spoken  frankly  because  in  warm  friendship  and  as  the 
best  means  of  perfect  understanding  between  us^  an  under- 
standing based  upon  mutual  respect^  admiration^  and  cor- 
diality. You  are  most  welcome  and  we  are  greatly  hon- 
ored that  you  should  have  chosen  us  as  the  friends  before 
whom  you  could  lay  any  matter  of  vital  co?isequence  to 
yourselves  in  the  confidence  that  your  course  would  be 
understood  and  met  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  it  was 
conceived  and  intended. 


2.  ^' 


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